Mahoney Has A Day as Softball Blanks Brooklyn College in Sweep

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Senior Victoria Mahoney's (Allenwood, N.J./Saint John Vianney) first collegiate home run was a grand slam highlighting a 6-for-9 day at the plate with six RBI leading the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team to a pair of run-rule shutouts, 20-0 and 13-0, of borough foes Brooklyn College on Thursday evening.

In total, 13 different Bears registered a hit on the day as SJC piled on 33 runs on 28 hits. Allison Kaspar (Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point)  tossed three hitless frames in her collegiate debut in the circle picking up the win in game one and Mahoney struck out four to also earn the win in the nightcap as St. Joseph's moved back over .500 at 10-9 overall, extending their win streak to three.

Game 1: St. Joseph's 20, Brooklyn 0 (5 inn)

The Bears posted 20 runs for the second time this season erupting for 12 runs in a big second inning to take a 13-0 lead. Gabriella Salvador (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) roped a triple to start the scoring the in second and after a popup for the first out, the Bears rapped seven straight run-scoring hits to balloon the lead to 9-0. The Bears pushed across four more unearned runs with Vivian Tomovich (San Diego, Calif./Serra) and Mahoney both picking up their second RBI of the 15-batter inning.

Daniela Trani (Staten Island, N.Y./Moore Catholic) drove in a pair over two at bats as St. Joseph's padded their lead with six in the third and one in the fifth.

Madison Erhardt (Baltimore, Md./Dulaney) and Kaspar worked a combined one-hit shutout in the circle, a leadoff single in the first the lone hit for the hosts. Erhardt struck out four over two innings and Kaspar struck out five and walked one over three to pick up her first collegiate win in relief.

Eleven different Bears knocked a hit in the victory led by Mahoney's 4-for-5 effort with two RBI. Tomovich drove in three runs with a 2-for-4 game and three runs scored. Nicole Quintana (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) and Hartwig both knocked a pair of hits and drove in a run, Hartwig's both hits going for extra bases.

Game 2: St. Joseph's 13, Brooklyn 0 (5 inn)

The Bears' bats stayed hot in the nightcap and they jumped on the new pitcher for five runs in the first. Hartwig and Jessica Mecham (West Jordan, Utah/Copper Hills) both delivered RBI singles in the frame and Alexis Buchanan (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta) and Briana Baglino (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) also collected a RBI with grounders.

After a Mecham RBI triple started the scoring in the third, a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases for Mahoney who ripped a ball to the left field fence and sped around the bases for an inside-the-park home run—her first collegiate home run and the first grand slam by a Bear since 2013. A Hartwig double capped the scoring in the seven-run third, pushing the lead to 12-0.

Mahoney struck out four and scattered three hits in the circle for the win and Salvador closed out the shutout with a pair of K's and two hits over the final two innings in her first collegiate appearance in the circle.

Hartwig batted 3-for-4 in the nightcap with three RBI and a pair of doubles. Mahoney finished 2-for-4 accumulating four RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. Buchanan and Mecham each knocked a triple in a 2-for-3 effort with two runs scored, Mecham driving in a pair and Buchanan notching a RBI.

For the Bears

• Victoria Mahoney's grand slam was the first by a Bear since 2013 and the sixth known grand slam in team history.
• Ashleigh Hartwig recorded multi-hit games in both ends batting 5-for-6 over the twinbill with four RBI, two runs, three doubles, and a triple.
• Mahoney, Hartwig, and Mecham each extended their hitting streaks to five games. Mahoney stretched her reached base safely streak to 13 games.
• The Bears have outscored opponents 45-0 over 15 innings in their three-game win streak.

Next Up for the Bears

The Bears resume Skyline Conference play on Saturday (April 6) traveling to sibling rivals SJC Long Island for a doubleheader starting at noon. Live stats will be available on SJCBears.com.