Lady Bears Blank York to Finish Perfect Home Campaign

BELLEROSE, NY - In their final game of the season at Padavan-Preller Field, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team captured a pair of shutout victories over York College (N.Y.), 11-0 and 10-0, on Monday evening, both games ending in five innings.

St. Joseph's (23-10) extends their winning streak to six and concludes a perfect 13-0 record at home this season. Senior Alyson Chiaramonte (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) recorded her fourth no-hitter and 10th shutout of the season in the circle also amassing four hits, five runs, a double and a triple at the plate. Fellow senior Lisa Scheer (Bayside, NY/Mary Louis) notched her 3rd shutout in the finale, tossing four innings of no-hit ball.

Senior Caitlyn Kakavas (Bayside, NY/St. Agnes) had a solid day at the plate and became the sixth Lady Bears to reach the 100 career RBI mark, collecting six RBI over the double dip.  Kakavas went 5-for-5 on the day and extended her hitting streak to a team-leading nine games, accumulating four runs and a triple.  Junior Andrea Sideli (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) drove in four RBI for the doubleheader and has collected 14 RBI over the team's six-game winning streak.  Sideli also assembled a seven-game hitting streak with a 3-for-6 day.

The Lady Bears were the visiting team for the opener as the game was originally scheduled as a Cardinals home game.  The Lady Bears got out of the gates quickly with a three-run first, powered by RBI singles from Danielle Marino (Maspeth, NY/Mary Louis) and Chiaramonte.

St. Joseph's broke the game open with a six run second frame, all the runs scoring on with two outs, the Lady Bears belting five straight hits, highlighted by RBI doubles from Marino, Chiaramonte and Megan Moran (Syosset, NY/St. Dominic's).

The Lady Bears tacked on two more runs in the third, again coming with two-outs sparked by Chiaramonte and Kakavas knocking back-to-back triples.  Chiaramonte would reach on a fielder's choice in the fifth, finishing the game 3-for-4, one leg shy of the natural cycle, with three runs and a pair of RBI.

Chiaramonte faced one batter over the minimum, an error separating her from her third perfect game of the season.  Chiaramonte struck out five to improve to 15-6 in the circle, lowering her ERA to 1.09.

Now playing as the home team for the finale, St. Joseph's took command again from the outset jumping out to a 9-0 advantage after two innings.  In the first, back-to-back two-run singles from Kakavas and Sideli  powered a four-run frame.

Scheer contributed to her cause with a sacrifice fly to start the scoring in a five-run second inning. Kakavas followed her two batters later and belted another two-RBI single, scoring the next play on a Sideli triple.  Kakavas and Sideli combined for seven RBI and three runs in the nightcap.

A Cassandra Molinari (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) RBI single in the fourth concluded the scoring. 

Scheer had more than enough run support, carrying a perfect game bid through three and two-thirds innings, before the Cardinals found their first baserunner via an error.  Aleen Abad led off the fifth with a single to spoil Scheer's no-hit bid.  After a Kimberly Barnes single to right two batters later, the Lady Bears defense preserved Scheer's shutout, executing a perfect relay to throw Abad out at the plate.  Scheer finished with a two-hitter, striking out seven and walking none.

St. Joseph's concludes the regular season with a key USCAA matchup against rivals Briarcliffe College that could have USCAA National Tournament implications. In the latest Coaches' Poll released earlier today, the Bulldogs were ranked #6 with the Lady Bears one spot back at #7. The evening doubleheader will take place on Thursday, May 3rd at the SJC Outdoor Athletic Complex in Patchogue, NY.  Fans unable to watch the matchup can follow the live video and stats on www.SJCBears.com.