Softball Records First Win of the Season in Split With Yeshiva

BRONX, N.Y. — Junior Samantha Samantha Simon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) went 4-for-8 with two RBI and four stolen bases over a Skyline Conference doubleheader with Yeshiva University as the Maccabbees captured game one, 12-9, before the Lady Bears salvaged a split in the nightcap, 7-2, on Tuesday night at Fordham University. .

The Basics

• Final Score (Game 1): Yeshiva 12, St. Joseph's 9
• Final Score (Game 2): St. Joseph's 7, Yeshiva 2
• Records: St. Joseph's (1-7, 1-5 Skyline), Yeshiva (3-8, 2-4 Skyline)
• Date: March 29, 2016
• Location: Bronx, N.Y.
• Field: Fordham University
• St. Joseph's Starters (Game 1): Eddy (2B), Rancel (LF), Gentile (1B), Rossi (CF), Ferrigno (3B), Simon (SS), Finnerty (RF), Quintana (C), McGowan (P)
• St. Joseph's Starters (Game 2): Simon (SS), Marino (CF), Ferrigno (3B), Rossi (LF), Armano (P), Gentile (1B), Quintana (2B), Rancel (RF), Eddy (C)

How it Happened in Game 1

• The Lady Bears drew first blood in the top of the second after Kristin Ferrigno led off the frame with a walk and later stole home in a double steal attempt. But Yeshiva would post two runs in home half of the inning, loading the bases and making the most of three walks.
• St. Joseph's responded with four runs in the next half inning to move back on top 5-2. Ferrigno and Samantha Simon both knocked back-to-back singles to start the scoring, another run coming in on a wild pitch and Megan Finnerty's grounder capped off the scoring.
• But Yeshiva would draw even at 5-all after four, plating a solo run in the third and two unearned runs in the fourth.
• The Lady Bears would load the bases in the top of the fifth, set up by Samantha Rossi's leadoff triple and pushed across four runs for a 9-5 cushion. Ferrigno drove in her second run of the day following Rossi with a single, Nicole Quintana brought in a run with a bases-loaded walk, and Eddy ended the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
• But Yeshiva answered again with a six-spot in the home half of the inning, making the most of an early Lady Bear miscue that allowed the lineup to turnover and the Maccabees made St. Joseph's pay scoring all six unearned with two outs and threatened for more leaving the bases loaded.
• The Macs would tack on an insurance run in the sixth for the final deficit and the Lady Bears could muster just one in in the final two frames in defeat.

How it Happened in Game 2

• Looking to salvage the sweep, the Lady Bears got on the board quickly with one in the first off Destiny Marino's second career home run two batters in and added two in the second on a Quintana grounder and Simon two-out base knock.
• Starter Theresa Armano faced one batter over the minimum in a scoreless first three innings before Rebecca Kleiner spoiled the shutout with a solo blast to right to lead off the fourth and the Maccabees pulled within one, 3-2, after four.
• As in game one, St. Joseph's threw up a four-spot in the fifth to move ahead 7-2. The Lady Bears assembled a two-out rally Ferrigno and Rossi lacing back-to-back triples and Maria Gentile capping a 2-for-3 effort with a double.
• After working a relatively simple fifth and six innings, Armano worked out of a minor jam in the seventh the first two batters reaching successfully, but induced two grounders and struck out her fifth to finish off win.

For the Lady Bears

• Samantha Simon led all Lady Bears batters with four hits, finishing 4-for-8 with two RBI, two runs scored and a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts.
• Kristin Ferrigno knocked three hits, highlighted by a 2-for-3 effort in game one, finishing with a team-leading three RBI and four runs scored.
• Samantha Rossi extended her hitting streak to four games with three hits over the twinbill, roping a pair of doubles, scoring three times and driving in one.
• Maria Gentile extended her reached base safely streak to a team-high five games with a pair of hits and a pair of walks, scoring twice, with one RBI and one double.
• Theresa Armano went the distance in the circle in game two, striking out five and walking one, allowing two runs on six hits to improve to 1-5 on the season.

For the Maccabees

• Rebecca Kleiner knocked four hits in seven at bats, all going for extra bases, with a home run and three doubles, also collecting four RBI and three runs scored.
• Michal Alge recorded a 5-for-6 day, driving in four RBI and scoring once with a double.
• Rachel Mirsky pitched all 14 innings for Yeshiva finishing 1-1, collecting four strikeouts over the twinbill allowing 15 hits with 11 of 16 runs coming earned.

Inside the Box Scores

• The Lady Bears stole 10-of-11 bases over the doubleheader while the Maccabees were just 1-of-2.
• In game one, Yeshiva was opportunistic batting 5-for-11 (.454) with two outs while St. Joseph's was just 0-for-6. Six of Yeshiva's 12 runs came from two-out RBIs.

The Lady Bear Facts

• St. Joseph's improves to 6-1 in the all-time series, the Maccabees collecting their first victory.
• The Lady Bears snap a seven-game skid to open the season and also collect their first Skyline Conference victory.

Next Up for St. Joseph's

Riding their first victory of the season, the Lady Bears take a brief break from Skyline Conference play, facing a familiar foe in former Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival The College of New Rochelle in a road twinbill on Thursday, March 31 starting at 5:45 p.m. at Flowers Park in New Rochelle. St. Joseph's has met the Blue Angels more times than any other opponent in their all-time series with the twinbill being the 35th and 36th meetings.