Riding Eight Straight Wins, Softball Hits the Road This Weekend Facing Briarcliffe and John Jay

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – After going undefeated in their eight-game homestand to move above .500, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team hits the road this weekend facing Briarcliffe College (N.Y.) for a doubleheader on Saturday (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) and John Jay College for a double dip on Sunday (3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.).

Game Information

Saturday, April 11

Opponent: Briarcliffe College (N.Y.) (6-2)
Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Location: PAL Complex | Holbrook, N.Y.

Sunday, April 12

Opponent: John Jay College (6-12)
Time: 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Location: Randall's Island Field 16 | Randall's Island, N.Y.

Team Links

St. Joseph's: Roster | Schedule | Statistics | NCAA Ranking Summary
Briarcliffe: Roster | Schedule | Statistics
John Jay: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

Quick Hits

• St. Joseph's (8-6) has won eight consecutive contests after sweeping four straight doubleheaders at Padavan-Preller Field. They've outscored opponents 94-24 during the dominant stretch.
• The Lady Bears are coming off a doubleheader sweep over Baruch College on Saturday, April 4, pushing 30 runs across in a pair of five-inning victories.
• Freshman Theresa Armano (4-3) is undefeated in her last four starts in the circle. The freshman's four victories leads the team. Meanwhile, sophomore Jamilynn McGowan (3-3) is victorious in her last three starts. 
• Jackie Perillo registered her first win against Baruch last Saturday while also helping her own cause with a fence-clearing three-run homerun. The senior has driven in a team-best 12 RBI, while senior Cassandra Molinari (11 RBI) and sophomore Kristin Ferrigno (10 RBI) rank second and third on the team in run production.
• St. Joseph's jumped from No. 12 to No. 8 in the latest United States Collegiate Athletic Association Coaches Poll. Conference rival Briarcliffe (6-2) currently sits at No. 11.
• John Jay (6-12) will be the Lady Bears' third CUNY opponent this season. St. Joseph's is 4-0 against the conference thus far, sweeping a pair of one-sided doubleheaders against York and Baruch.

Series History

vs. Briarcliffe: St. Joseph's boasts a slight 11-8 edge over Briarcliffe in a competitive series history.

vs. John Jay:  The Lady Bears hold an 8-4-1 advantage over John Jay dating back to March 18, 2003, including a 2-1 mark against the Bloodhounds last season.

Last Meetings

vs. Briarcliffe: On May 7, 2014, the Lady Bears closed out their season with a doubleheader split with the Bulldogs. St. Joseph's, fresh off the HVIAC Tournament title, won eight of their last nine games to finish with a winning record (17-16) for the fifth time in the last six years.

Briarcliffe controlled game one 10-2, but the Lady Bears salvaged the split with a 7-3 triumph to close the season on a high note. Jamilynn McGowan tossed a complete-game gem, allowing two earned runs over seven innings to improve her record to 9-8.

vs. John Jay: St. Joseph's split a doubleheader with John Jay on April 17, 2014, squeaking out a 7-6 victory in the opener before falling 7-2 in the capper.

The Lady Bears opened the scoring in game one with a five-run second inning. Jackie Perillo went the distance in the circle, holding off the Bloodhounds' surge to pick up her fourth win of the season.

Jamilynn McGowan suffered the loss in game two despite a complete game effort. St. Joseph's offense mustered only a pair of runs after being held scoreless in the first six innings.

The Lady Bear Facts

St. Joseph's (8-6) has won eight consecutive contests after sweeping four straight doubleheaders at Padavan-Preller Field. They've outscored opponents 94-24 during the dominant stretch. The Lady Bears are coming off a doubleheader sweep over Baruch College on Saturday, April 4, pushing 30 runs across in a pair of five-inning victories.

Freshman Theresa Armano (4-3) is undefeated in her last four starts in the circle. The freshman's four victories leads the team. Meanwhile, sophomore Jamilynn McGowan (3-3) is victorious in her last three starts. Jackie Perillo registered her first win against Baruch last Saturday while also helping her own cause with a fence-clearing three-run homerun. The senior has driven in a team-best 12 RBI, while senior Cassandra Molinari (11 RBI) and sophomore Kristin Ferrigno (10 RBI) rank second and third on the team in run production.

Lady Bears Last Time Out

St. Joseph's exploded for 30 runs in a doubleheader sweep over Baruch College (0-8) last Saturday afternoon, extending their winning streak to eight games and moving above .500 for the first time this season. The Lady Bears kicked off the day with a 13-2 five-inning victory in game one, followed by a 17-9 five-inning triumph in game two.

St. Joseph's pounced on Baruch early in the opener, plating 10 runs on five hits in the first. With an abundance of run support, Theresa Armano cruised to her fourth consecutive win. The freshman threw four innings, surrendering no earned runs while striking out a pair.

The Lady Bears struck early in game two as well. Following consecutive singles to open the bottom half of the first, senior Jackie Perillo powered one over the leftfield fence for her first homerun of the season. Along with her first homerun, Perillo also picked up her first victory in the circle in game two, allowing three earned runs and striking out four over three innings.

Perillo, Armano and Gentile Claim Weekly Awards

On Tuesday, senior Jackie Perillo was awarded the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Player of the Week, while freshman Theresa Armano was named HVIAC Pitcher of the Week and freshman Maria Gentile received Rookie of the Week honors.

Perillo slugged her first homerun of the season and drove in a team-high eight RBI last week in leading St. Joseph's to doubleheader sweeps over York and Baruch. The senior batted .444 (4-for-9), slugged 1.111 and scored seven runs. En route to her second consecutive HVIAC Pitcher of the Week award, Armano finished 2-0 and pitched to a microscopic 0.78 ERA in the circle. Gentile batted .667 (4-for-6) with one RBI to earn her first career weekly award.

Lady Bears Enter Top 10 in USCAA Rankings

St. Joseph's jumped four spots from No. 12 to No. 8 in the latest United States Collegiate Athletic Association Coaches Poll.

Inside the Doghouse

Riding six straight victories, Briarcliffe (6-2) currently sits at No. 11 in the USCAA rankings. Since opening the season 0-2, the Bulldogs have throttled opponents by a 68-1 margin. They've registered shutouts in four consecutive games, scoring 47 unanswered runs in the process.

Briacliffe has pitched to a miniscule 1.20 team-ERA this season, good for third-best in the USCAA. Brittney Shisler leads the way with a 2-0 record in the circle. The freshman has yet to surrender an earned run in nine innings of work.

Briarcliffe Last Time Out

On Wednesday, the Bulldogs suffocated HVIAC-member New Rochelle in a doubleheader sweep, winning 20-0 and 11-0. Briacliffe outhit the Blue Angels 30-1 in an imposing offensive and defensive display.

Freshman Heidi Gomez took the ball in game one, no-hitting New Rochelle and striking out 13 of 16 batters faced in a dominant effort. Fellow freshman Brittney Shisler put the finishing touches on the sweep in game two, allowing just one hit and fanning nine in five innings of work.

Hounding the Opposition

The Bloodhounds kicked off the 2015 season with the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., finishing 1-7 in the series. Following their trip, John Jay ran off four consecutive victories with sweeps over HVIAC-members Yeshiva University and New Rochelle. But the Bloodhounds are 1-5 in their last six meetings, falling to 6-12 on the year.

Freshman Catherine Alvarado leads John Jay with three victories in the circle, while seniors Jennifer Varela (2 HR, 19 RBI) and Jessica Zaccari (19 RBI) lead the Bloodhounds in run production.

John Jay Last Time Out

John Jay dropped a pair of CUNYAC meetings with Brooklyn College on Tuesday. Following an 8-0 shutout in the opener, the Bloodhounds responded with a competitive effort in game two. But Brooklyn denied any late-inning heroics to secure a slight 7-6 victory and the sweep.

Next Up for the Lady Bears 

St. Joseph's will return to Padavan-Preller Field on Tuesday, April 14 for a doubleheader clash with future Skyline Conference rival Mount Saint Vincent at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Live stats will be available at SJCBears.com.