Softball Blanks New Kensington For First Win Of The Season

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team (1-3) picked up their first win of the season as Victoria Mahoney (Allenwood, N.J./Saint John Vianney) fired a one-hitter in an 8-0 triumph over Penn State New Kensington (0-6) on day two of their Florida trip at The Spring Games.

Freshmen Alexis Buchanan (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta) and Ashleigh Hartwig (Santee, Calif./West Hills) had outstanding days at the plate with Buchanan going 5-for-5 with four runs scored and Hartwig blasting her first collegiate home run and driving in five runs on the day. 

Game 1: Misericordia 16, St. Joseph's 4 (5 inn)

St. Joseph's struck first posting a solo run in to open the first when Ashleigh Hartwig knocked a two-out single that scored Jessica Vento (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) who drew a four-pitch walk. The Bears threatened for more stranding the bases loaded.

Misericordia (7-2) knocked five hits in the bottom half of the first to push across five runs, three scoring unearned. After a scoreless second, the Cougars piled on six more runs in the third and added five more in the fourth to build a decisive lead.

Hartwig provided the highlight of the game for the Bears in the fifth, smashing her first collegiate home run. A three-run shot that scored Alexis Buchanan and Allison Kaspar (Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point) who singled and walked earlier in the frame.

Hartwig finished 2-for-3 with four RBI while Buchanan went 2-for-2 with a run. Jessica Mecham (West Jordan, Utah/Copper Hills) also knocked a hit but took the loss in her first collegiate start in the circle.

Game 2: St. Joseph's 8, Penn State New Kensington 0 (5 inn)

Buchanan led off the bottom of the second with a double and scored on a Vento single to put the Bears up 1-0 after one. A Buchanan RBI single that scored Nicole Quintana (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) opened the scoring in a four-run second on just two hits with three Nittany Lions miscues allowing three more across unearned.

The run support was more than enough for Mahoney who tossed a perfect game through three innings, and faced just one batter over the minimum in the one-hit shutout, her only blemish a leadoff single in the fourth. Mahoney struck out seven and walked none over five innings.

SJC assembled a two-out rally in the third highlighted by an RBI single from Hartwig and a two-run knock from by Gabriella Salvador (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) to push their lead to 8-0.

Buchanan went 3-for-3 with a RBI and three runs scored and Vento finished 2-for-3 with a RBI.

For the Bears

• Alexis Buchanan finished the day a perfect 5-for-5 at the dish and is the only Bear to hit successfully in all four games on the trip.
• Ashleigh Hartwig was the top run producer with five RBI on the day with three hits.
• Victoria Mahoney fired the third complete-game one-hitter of her career.

Next Up for the Bears

St. Joseph's wraps up their Florida trip on Saturday (Mar. 10) facing Muhlenberg at 12:30 p.m. followed by William Paterson at 5 p.m.