Lady Bears Split with Golden Eagles on Alumni and Senior Night

BELLEROSE, NY – On an event-filled Friday evening, the St. Joseph's College Lady Bears softball team battled sister school, St. Joseph's College – Long Island. Due to a rainy April, the Lady Bears also celebrated Alumni and Senior Night. The capacity crowd was treated to a barbeque and a pair of thrilling games. The home team won the opener 2-0, but couldn't come back in game two as St. Joseph's – Long Island earned the split, 4-3.

Alyson Chiaramonte (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) provided fireworks both in the circle and at the plate. Game one's starter, Chiaramonte tossed her fourth shutout in seven games, pitching a complete seven innings while surrendering only two hits and striking out five. Chiaramonte also went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in the doubleheader.

The Lady Bears (21-7) combined for 15 hits between the two games, led by sophomore Danielle Marino (Maspeth, NY/Mary Louis) who picked up four. Lisa Scheer (Bayside, NY/Mary Louis) added two hits and a run scored and pitched a great game in a losing effort in game two. Scheer pitched seven innings and allowed four runs (three earned) and nine hits while striking out six.

The Lady Bears have a quick turnaround as they travel to Sarah Lawrence to compete in the Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference Tournament. The top seeded Lady Bears will play Albertus Magnus in the semi-final round at 10:00 am. Should they advance, the Lady Bears will play in the finals against either New Rochelle or host Sarah Lawrence at 4:00 pm.

Game 1 – St. Joseph's (Bklyn) 2, St. Joseph's (LI) 0

The definition of a pitching duel, Chiaramonte and Golden Eagles' pitcher Cassie Martinez were deadlocked at 0-0 after five and half innings. The Lady Bears' only threat came in the bottom of the second when Andrea Sideli (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) roped a two-out double to center. She failed to come around though as Martinez struck out the next batter, her third strikeout of the inning.

Chiaramonte hit a speed bump in the fourth inning, walking back-to-back batters with one out. She retired the next batter on a fly out, and with two outs and runners on second and third, induced a pop-up on the infield to end the inning.

The Lady Bears finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth with three straight one-out singles. With Scheer and Chiaramonte on the base paths, Caitlyn Kakavas (Bayside, NY/St. Agnes) added another big hit to her resume with a single to center to score the go-ahead run. Chiaramonte scored from first when the ball was mishandled in the outfield and Kakavas advanced to third before the play was over. Martinez struck out the next two batters stranding Kakavas at third, but the damage had been done.

Maria Barbuto led off the top of the seventh for the Golden Eagles (16-16) with a single right to bring the tying run to the plate. Chiaramonte retired the next three batters, including a strikeout of the games' final batter to secure the 2-0 victory.

Game 2 – St. Joseph's (LI) 4, St. Joseph's (Bklyn) 3

The Lady Bears picked right back up in game two with a first inning run, courtesy of Chiramonte's RBI ground out to score Millicia Malvasio (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney).

Scheer, who pitched a 1-2-3 first inning, was touched up for three runs on three hits in the second. Martinez, who pitched nine innings between the two games for the Golden Eagles due to injury, led off the second with a deep triple down the left field line. Jeannine Rasmussen later doubled home a run and scored on a two-out error to put the Golden Eagles up 3-1.

After the rough second inning, Scheer kept her team in game, holding the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard for the following four innings. Her efforts allowed the Lady Bears to come back and tie up the game with a run in the fourth and fifth innings. Senior Christina Girardi (Floral Park, NY/St. Francis Prep) picked up her first RBI of the season with a hard hit single down the left field line. An inning later, Marino led off the frame with a double and came around to score on Chiaramonte's single to center. The game-tying RBI was Chiaramonte's second of the game.

The score remained tied at three heading into the last and final inning. Golden Eagles' shortstop Courtney Frisina led off the inning with a single and with one out came around to score the go-ahead run on a double by pinch hitter Julia De Carmine.

Staked to a 4-3 lead, Martinez retired the first two Lady Bears' batters of the seventh. With two outs, Marino gave the Lady Bears a spark with a double to left center, but that was the only hit the Lady Bears could manage and their comeback bid fell short, 4-3.

Following the game, the Lady Bears honored their four seniors, Christina Girardi (Floral Park, NY/St. Francis Prep), Jackie Marinello (Brooklyn, NY/Fontbonne Hall), Lauren Norris (Sunnyside, NY/Long Island City) and Melissa Simo (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood). All four ladies played four seasons for St. Joseph's and will make their third straight National Championship appearance next week.