Softball Drops 1-0 Decision to Briarcliffe in Nationals Tuneup
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Joseph's (Bklyn) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
|
Briarcliffe (N.Y.) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
HOLBROOK, N.Y.—In last-minute addition to the schedule, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team was edged out by USCAA rivals Briarcliffe, 1-0, on Wednesday evening in at the PAL Complex in a tuneup for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships next week.
Both lineups succumbed to a pitchers duel in the fifth meeting between the USCAA rivals this season. Lady Bears starter Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) tossed five innings of two-hit, shutout ball, striking out three and walking two while her Bulldog counterpart Heidi Gomez matched her with two hits, five strikeouts and no walks, both leaving the circle deadlocked at 0-0 after five.
St. Joseph's didn't find any further success against Briarcliffe reliever Lyndsey Balder, who picked up the win with two perfect innings, and the game remained scoreless headed to the bottom of the seventh.
A one-out single by Gomez followed by two Lady Bears miscues put runners at the corners for Briarcliffe — the first runner past second base for either squad in the game — and then drew a walk to load the bases setting up Susie Docher to deliver the game-winning walk-off single.
Theresa Armano (Middle Village, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) would get saddled with the loss in relief, falling to 11-9, working 1 1/3 innings allowing three hits and the lone run coming unearned.
Maria Gentile (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall) and Erica Eddy (Glendale, N.Y./Christ the King) knocked the lone hits for the Lady Bears with singles in the second and third innings.
St. Josephs concludes the regular season at 22-17 and will enter their first USCAA National Championship since 2012 as the No. 7 seed. The Lady Bears will face No. 10 University of Cincinnati-Clermont in the opening round on Monday, May 11 at 12 p.m. (note new time) at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio. Briarcliffe (12-7) enters as the No. 4 seed and will face No. 5 Penn State Hazleton in their opening round matchup on Monday at 4 p.m.