Offense Powers Softball to Sweep of Valley Forge Christian

PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. – Led by an offense that produced 22 runs and smacked 25 hits on the day, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team got back into the win column with a doubleheader sweep at Valley Forge Christian College on Saturday evening, earning an 11-2 game one win in five innings and a another 11-2 triumph in the nightcap coming in six innings.

St. Joseph's (11-15) snaps a two-game losing streak and heads into tomorrow's Senior Day with a 7-5 mark over their last 12 games, while Valley Forge (2-25) has now dropped 23 games in a row.

The St. Joseph's offense wouldn't take long to get on track after a pair of tough games versus Brooklyn College as junior Jackie Perillo (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) doubled to left-field on the second pitch of the day and would later come around to score on a freshman Kristin Ferrigno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) RBI single to left to put the Lady Bears on the board. Freshman Samantha Simon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) helped St. Joseph's add another run in the frame with an RBI groundout to short that brought home junior Cassandra Molinari (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) who had singled earlier in the inning.

The Lady Bears tacked on a run in the third to take a 3-0 lead, but the Patriots would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third to make it 3-2. St. Joseph's put an end to any hopes of a Valley Forge comeback by putting up six runs in the fourth to take a 9-2 advantage. The Lady Bears used RBI singles from freshman Samantha Rossi (Bayside, N.Y./Mary Louis), Simon, and a two-RBI single to center-field by junior Shannon Rom (Breezy Point, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) to put the game out of reach.

Perillo took the ball in the circle for the Lady Bears and pitched well, surrendering only two runs on the day, both coming in the third inning. The junior ended the day with six strikeouts and scattered five hits to pick up the win and improve to 6-7 on the year.

The nightcap saw St. Joseph's jump all over Patriot pitching right from the start, building a 7-0 lead after four innings and would use a strong pitching performance from freshman Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) to finish off the sweep. McGowan went the distance allowing only two runs on five hits and struck out six to move to 5-8.

The Lady Bears put two on the board in the first once again, using a freshman Geena Campisi (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) two-RBI double to left to take the lead for good at 2-0. St. Joseph's added one in the second before scoring three in the third with two coming on a double off the bat of Campisi and the other scoring off a double by senior Christina Quintana (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) to put the Lady Bears up 6-0 after three.

St. Joseph's held a 7-1 lead after five forcing the contest to go into a sixth inning, but that only delayed the inevitable as the Lady Bears exploded for four more runs and McGowan handled the Patriots in the sixth to seal the sweep.

Rossi continued her strong play going 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles, four RBI and four runs scored, while Ferrigno batted 4-for-7 with two RBI and four runs. Campisi added a 2-for-4 day with all three of her RBI coming in game two while coming across to score twice. Molinari ended the night 3-for-8 with three runs scored, while Simon went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORES

• Other Contributors: Perillo (2-for-6, 2 2B, 3 R) Rom (2-for-7, 4 RBI, R) McGowan (3-for-6, R, RBI) Morgan Summers (1-for-5, RBI) Quintana (1-for-2, R, RBI)
• After smacking 11 hits in the opener, the Lady Bears recorded 14 in the nightcap.
• Valley Forge committed five errors on the night compared to three by St. Joseph's.
• Six of the Lady Bears runs were unearned.
• Perillo and McGowan combined to walk only four on the day, while the Patriots dished out seven free passes.

THE LADY BEAR FACTS

• St. Joseph's takes the first matchups in the all-time series between the two schools.
• Molinari Is now six hits shy of 100 for her career.
• The Lady Bears improve to 7-8 in true road games.
• Today's games were the first Saturday games for St. Joseph's all season.

NEXT UP FOR THE LADY BEARS – SARAH LAWRENCE

St. Joseph's has a quick turnaround as they come back to New York to face HVIAC foe Sarah Lawrence College for Senior Day in a doubleheader that begins at 2 p.m. The Lady Bears will honor the careers of seniors Christina Quintana and Megan Moran.