Softball Puts Seven-Game Win Streak on Line Meeting Borough Rival Brooklyn College on Thursday and HVIAC Foe Yeshiva on Friday

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Victors in seven consecutive contests, including five straight run-rule triumphs, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team (15-11) is set for a collision with borough rival Brooklyn College on Thursday (5 p.m. and 7 p.m.) followed by a Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meeting at Yeshiva University the following day (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.).

Game Information

Thursday, April 23

Opponent: Brooklyn College (16-14)
Time: 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Location: Brooklyn College Field | Brooklyn, N.Y.

Friday, April 24

Opponent: Yeshiva University (2-9)
Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Location: Padavan-Preller Field | Bellerose, N.Y.

Team Links

St. Joseph's: Roster | Schedule | Statistics | NCAA Ranking Summary
Brooklyn: Roster | Schedule | Statistics
Yeshiva: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

Quick Hits

• The Lady Bears (15-11) are victors in seven consecutive contests, including five straight run-rule triumphs, smothering opponents 72-14 during the span.
• Their last time out on Sunday, St. Joseph's dealt a doubleheader sweep to Lehman College, cruising 10-2 and 14-1 to improve their home record to a dominant 11-1.
• On April 15, St. Joseph's opened HVIAC-play sweeping The College of New Rochelle to improve their all-time record against the Blue Angels to 32-0. With the win, the Lady Bears claimed the top spot in the HVIAC standings ahead of another crucial conference meeting with Yeshiva.
• With 12 RBI in her last five games, sophomore Samantha Rossi has driven home a team and HVIAC-high 20 runs to go along with a .317 batting average. After producing a game-high four runs in game two vs. Lehman, senior Cassandra Molinari now ranks third on the team with 17 RBI. In addition, sophomore Kristen Candelaria claims a team-leading .478 batting average (11-for-23) after hitting safely in six of her last seven at bats.
• The pitching duo of freshman Theresa Armano and sophomore Jamilynn McGowan continue to silence opponents' bats. Riding four consecutive wins, Armano leads the Lady Bears and HVIAC in wins (8), starts (13), innings (73.0), complete games (9), strikeouts (38) and ERA (3.64). McGowan has compiled six victories in the circle, including three straight, to go along with 25 strikeouts and three complete games.
• On Tuesday, the Lady Bears swept the HVIAC weekly awards for the second time this season. Rossi was named Player of the Week, Armano nabbed Pitcher of the Week and Erica Eddy was awarded Rookie of the Week honors.
• Borough rival Brooklyn (16-14) used a six-game winning streak in the first half of April to move above .500. But the Bulldogs have traded wins and losses in their last five. Meanwhile, Yeshiva has dropped three straight meetings, falling to 2-9 ahead of a critical HVIAC showdown with the streaking Lady Bears.

Series History

vs. Brooklyn: The Lady Bears hold a significant 17-3-1 edge over Brooklyn in the series history. But the Bulldogs are out for revenge, taking the last three meetings.

vs. Yeshiva: St. Joseph's is unbeaten in three high-stakes clashes against Yeshiva. In 2013, the sides squared off in the HVWAC Invitational semifinals with St. Joseph's shutting out Yeshiva 12-0. Last year, the Lady Bears silenced the Maccabees 14-1 in the HVIAC Tournament final and, two days later, claimed the Regular Season title with a 13-0 shutout.

Last Meetings

vs. Brooklyn: On April 24, 2014, St. Joseph's suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Brooklyn at Padavan-Preller Field, dropping the opener 20-2 and the nightcap 16-2, both in five innings. The Bulldogs dominated from start-to-finish in both contests, opening game one with a seven-run first inning and closing game two with a 14-run eruption.

vs. Yeshiva: On May 6, 2014, the Lady Bears secured their sixth consecutive HVIAC Regular Season title with a 13-0 triumph over Yeshiva in five innings on the campus of Sarah Lawrence College. Jamilynn McGowan provided a mammoth effort in the circle and at the plate to lead the way, tossing a complete game three-hit shutout and going 2-for-2 with three RBI swinging the lumber.

The Lady Bear Facts

The Lady Bears (15-11) are victors in seven consecutive contests, including five straight mercy-rule triumphs, smothering opponents 72-14 during the span. Their last time out on Sunday, St. Joseph's dealt a doubleheader sweep to Lehman College, cruising 10-2 and 14-1 to improve their home record to a dominant 11-1.

On April 15, St. Joseph's opened HVIAC-play sweeping The College of New Rochelle to improve their all-time record against the Blue Angels to 32-0. With the win, the Lady Bears claimed the top spot in the HVIAC standings ahead of another crucial conference meeting with Yeshiva.

With 12 RBI in her last five games, sophomore Samantha Rossi has driven home a team and HVIAC-high 20 runs to go along with a .317 batting average. After producing a game-high four runs in game two vs. Lehman, senior Cassandra Molinari now ranks third on the team with 17 RBI. In addition, sophomore Kristen Candelaria claims a team-leading .478 batting average (11-for-23) after hitting safely in six of her last seven at bats.

The pitching duo of freshman Theresa Armano and sophomore Jamilynn McGowan continue to silence opponents' bats. Riding four consecutive wins, Armano leads the Lady Bears and HVIAC in wins (8), starts (13), innings (73.0), complete games (9), strikeouts (38) and ERA (3.64). McGowan has compiled six victories in the circle, including three straight, to go along with 25 strikeouts and three complete games.

Lady Bears Last Time Out

St. Joseph's (15-11) continued to roll with a doubleheader sweep over Lehman College on Sunday afternoon, cruising 10-2 and 14-1 to extend their winning streak to seven games and improve their home record to 11-1.

In game one, Theresa Armano held the Lightning scoreless in every inning but the third, winning her fourth consecutive game to improve to 8-5. The freshman fanned three in five innings, surrendering no earned runs in her ninth complete game of the season.

Jamilynn McGowan followed up her teammate's gem with her third consecutive victory in the circle, evening her record at 6-6. The sophomore allowed just one earned run and three hits in five innings of work.

Samantha Rossi and Cassandra Molinari led the offensive charge, each finishing with a team-high four RBI on the day. Rossi went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, while Molinari finished 3-for-5.

Lady Bears Combine for Another Sweep of HVIAC Awards

On Tuesday, the Lady Bears swept the HVIAC weekly awards for the second time this season. Samantha Rossi was named Player of the Week, Theresa Armano nabbed Pitcher of the Week and Erica Eddy was awarded Rookie of the Week honors for the week ending April 19.

Rossi earned Player of the Week honors for the second time in her career. The sophomore outfielder batted .529 (9-for-17), slugged .882 and was the team's top run producer with 12 RBI.

Armano collected Pitcher of the Week honors for the third time this season. The freshman recorded a miniscule 0.33 ERA over 21.0 innings of work in the circle and compiled a 4-0 record.

Eddy received Rookie of the Week honors for the first time in her career. The junior second baseman/catcher batted .400 (8-for-20) with six RBI, three runs scored and five walks over the eight-game week.

Inside the Doghouse

Borough rival Brooklyn (16-14) used a six-game winning streak in the first half of April to move above .500. But the Bulldogs have traded wins and losses in their last five and are fresh off a doubleheader split against The College at Old Westbury.

The Bulldogs are paced by Samantha Rodriguez on offense. The junior has smashed a team-best three homeruns while plating a team-leading 35 RBI. Rodriguez also leads the Bulldogs in slugging (.615%) and walks (16). Chrissy Heyer (.506 BA) has managed to hit safely in more than half of her at bats (45-for-89). The freshman speedster has also given defenses fits with 23 stolen bases, only being caught on two occasions.

In the circle, first-year ace Kayla Hill leads Brooklyn in wins (8), ERA (3.10), strikeouts (82), innings (88.0) and complete games (10).

Brooklyn Last Time Out

On April 21, the Bulldogs (16-14) split a pair of home meetings with The College at Old Westbury, claiming a 2-0 pitcher's duel in game one before falling 8-4 in the nightcap.

Two runs and six hits from Brooklyn's offense would prove to be enough for a victory in the opener. Freshman Kayla Hill was brilliant in the circle, spinning a seven-inning complete-game shutout to improve her record to 8-5. But Westbury enacted revenge in game two as their offense came alive for 14 hits and eight runs.

Mac Attack

Yeshiva has dropped three straight meetings, falling to 2-9 ahead of a critical HVIAC showdown with the streaking top-seeded Lady Bears. Friday's contest will be the Maccabees' conference-opener as they look to avenge last season's losses in the HVIAC Tournament and Regular Season title games.

Yeshiva has struggled at the plate this season, producing 2.8 runs per game and a .244 team batting average. Junior Rachel Mirsky has done her part with team highs in hitting (.407) and RBI (10) to go along with one homer. Mirsky and senior Erin Potasnick have each contributed a win apiece in the circle.

Yeshiva Last Time Out

On Sunday, the Maccabees were controlled 22-1 and 13-9 at Baruch College. The Bearcats pounced on Yeshiva in the opener, scoring all 22 runs in the first three innings.

Yeshiva bounced back in game two with a six-run first inning to put Baruch on the defense. But the Bearcats proved too resilient, cutting the deficit in half after four innings and erupting for a seven-run fifth to secure the comeback and sweep.

Next Up for the Lady Bears - Senior Day & Alumni Day

On Sunday, No. 10 St. Joseph's will host No. 5 Briarcliffe College (N.Y.) for a significant late-season United States Collegiate Athletic Association meeting and will also celebrate Senior Day for seniors Cassandra Molinari, Jackie Perillo and Shannon Rom. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. with live stats available at SJCBears.com. The twin bill will be followed by an Alumni Game at 5 p.m.