Lady Bears Silence Lightning in Sweep of Twinbill

BROOKLYN, NY – Danielle Marino (Maspeth, NY/Mary Louis) knocked in three runs and Lisa Scheer (Bayside, NY/Mary Louis) flirted with a perfect game leading the St. Joseph's College softball team to a 12-4, 10-1 sweep of a non-conference doubleheader against CUNY foe Lehman College on Saturday afternoon at National Grid Softball Field.

St. Joseph's lifts their record to 17-8-1 while Lehman falls to 5-20 with the doubleheader.

Marino collected four hits, four runs scored, three RBI, a triple and two stolen bases for the series. Alyson Chiaramonte (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) and Scheer each earned wins in the circle and at the plate picked up three base knocks with three runs scored and a pair of doubles.  Chiaramonte also drove in three runs while Scheer drove in two.  Millicia Malvasio (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) drove in three runs on two hits.

In the opener, St. Joseph's scored two runs in the first inning aided by a Lehman fielding error with two outs that extended the inning and allowed Marino to score after singling earlier in the inning.  Caitlyn Kakavas (Bayside, NY/St. Agnes) added another run on a drive to right field that went for a triple and scored Chiaramonte.

The Lady Bears plated five runs in the third inning started off by a Chiaramonte drive to center that scored Marino who led off the frame with a single and Scheer who walked.  Chiaramonte later scored on a Lightning throwing error.  Malvasio hit a double to the left field gap that scored Kakavas and Jackie Marinello (Brooklyn, NY/Fontbonne Hall).

St. Joseph's extended to a 10-0 lead tacking three more runs in the fourth on a two-run triple by Emily Palmieri (Staten Island, NY/St. John's Villa) who later scored on a Amanda Castello (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) single.

In the circle, Scheer was dominant pitching four perfect innings with only two balls leaving in the infield.  Kelsey Ash (Santee, CA/Santana) ruined the perfect game bid with a leadoff triple in the fifth that started off a string of three straight extra base hits with Genesis Batista (Bronx, NY / A.P. Randolph) producing an RBI double and Fanny Souffront (New York, NY/Christopher Columbus) knocking an RBI triple, cutting the deficit to 10-2.  Lehman forced St. Joseph's to bat again to earn the win adding two more runs with two out hits on a single by Simone Byrd (Laramie, WY/Laramie Senior) and the third triple of the inning by Bethany Rodriguez (Yonkers, NY/Yonkers).

St. Joseph's would pick up the two runs required in the bottom half of the frame to cross the eight-run threshold.  Marino, who went 3-for-3 in the game, led off the inning with a single and Scheer followed with a double.  A Vargas grounder would score Marino and the Lady Bears would load the bases with a pair of walks.  Jillian Troise (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) drew the third walk of the inning to bring home Scheer ending the game in five innings.

Scheer improved to 6-5 for the season allowing four runs on five hits while fanning five and walking none.  Natalie Martinez (Brooklyn, NY / Bushwick) took the loss giving up 12 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits, striking out five and issuing nine free passes.

In the nightcap, Lehman jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a leadoff inside-the-park home run from Rodriguez to the right field fence.  After that opening hiccup, Chiaramonte shut down Lehman going four innings and surrendering only two more hits and striking out nine, walking none.

St. Joseph's would reclaim the lead, scoring two runs in the bottom half of the frame on back-to-back RBI doubles from Scheer and Chiaramonte.

The Lady Bears would post a four spot in the second highlighted by a bases loaded clearing triple by Marino, scoring Jillian Troise (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) who reached on an error and Christina Girardi (Floral Park, NY/St. Francis Prep) and Malvasio who drew walks.  Scheer brought Marino home with a single through the left side.

St. Joseph's added a pair of runs in the third with Andrea Sideli (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) drawing a leadoff walk and Mabel Vargas (Ridgewood, NY/Mary Louis).  Both later scored on Melissa Simo (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) and Malvasio grounders.

The Lady Bears took a 10-1 lead in the fourth with another pair of runs coming on Vargas single and a Christina Girardi (Floral Park, NY/St. Francis Prep) double to the right field corner.  Vargas would take over for Chiaramonte in the circle to finish off the game, retiring Lehman in order, striking out two in the process.

Chiaramonte finished with a three hitter and improved to 9-3 capturing her third straight victory in the circle.  Martinez got the call again for the Lightning and took the loss, falling to 4-11, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on nine hits, striking out two and walking four.

St. Joseph's returns to action tomorrow hosting Sarah Lawrence for a Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference doubleheader at National Grid Softball Field.  The Lady Bears will celebrate Family Day with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.