Lady Bears Prevail in Extra Innings to Earn Second Win of Florida Trip

CAPE CORAL, FL – The St. Joseph's College softball team earned a hard fought victory defeating Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 3-1, in eight innings at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The Lady Bears dropped a 10-2 decision to St. Mary's College in the second game of the twinbill.

The win improves St. Joseph's record to 2-2 and with two games remaining in Florida, the Lady Bears have already had their most successful spring break trip in the last eight years going to Florida and Arizona.

The opener saw the Lady Bears and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (2-6) deadlocked at 0-0 after the regulation seven innings. St. Joseph's was the road team by virtue of coin flip and led off the first extra frame with Andrea Sideli (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) placed on second base to start the inning by the tiebreaker rule.

Lauren Norris (Sunnyside, NY/Long Island City) led off the inning with a two-strike single up the middle placing runners at the corners. Coach Carbone then called for a delayed double steal that allowed Sideli to score the go-ahead run. After a single by Millicia Malvasio (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) and a walk from Megan Moran (Syosset, NY/St. Dominic's) loaded the bases, Alyson Chiaramonte (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) knocked a two-out single up the middle that scored Norris and Malvasio.

The three run cushion would be more than enough Chiaramonte, who improved to 2-0 in the circle and struck out eight in the process, and allowed five hits.

In the second game, St. Mary's (7-1) dominated through four innings, plating 10 runs on 13 hits. Belles starter Monica Palicki carried a no-hitter into the final frame but Caitlyn Kakavas (Bayside, NY/St. Agnes) would spoil the no-no bid with a double to center field and Emily Palmieri (Staten Island, NY/St. John's Villa) would spoil the shutout following with an RBI single to center. St. Joseph's would plate another run on a Malvasio single needing one more run to extend the game, but stranded the bases loaded for the final 10-2 margin.

Malvasio had another solid day at the plate, batting 4-for-6 with an RBI, run scored and a stolen base. Chiaramonte collected two hits and a pair of RBI on the twinbill and Norris finished with two runs scored.

St. Joseph's has a day off before concluding their Florida swing with a two game set against Norwich University and Curry College on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 9 a.m.