Softball Drops Pair in Season Opener at Gene Cusic Classic

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team dropped both ends of their season-opening doubleheader at the Gene Cusic Classic, falling 5-4 against Alfred State College and 11-0 in five innings versus the University of New England on Monday afternoon at the Lee County Sports Complex.

In game one, the Lady Bears (0-2) struggled early, spotting the Pioneers (1-4) four runs in the top half of the first. However, junior pitcher Jackie Perillo (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) would settle down and allow only one run over the next six innings. Perillo went the distance allowing only three hits, five earned runs and walked nine with a strikeout.

St. Joseph's slowly clawed their way back, netting two runs in the bottom of the second and a run in the fifth to cut the deficit to 4-3 after six. Alfred State was able to get an insurance run across in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead and were threatening for more before Perillo got a groundout to short for the final out of the inning.

The first two Lady Bears to step to the plate in the bottom of the seventh were retired by Pioneers pitcher Ashlynn Nickerson who also threw a complete game, allowing two earned runs on nine hits while fanning six.

It looked like Alfred State was going to breeze through the seventh, but St. Joseph's had other ideas as junior Cassandra Molinari (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) started a two-out rally with a single up the middle before advancing to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball. Following a Kristin Ferrigno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) walk, freshman Samantha Rossi (Bayside, N.Y./Mary Louis) came through with an RBI single up the middle to get the Lady Bears within one, 5-4, but Nickerson would strike out the very next batter to end the contest.

Game two against New England (3-3) saw St. Joseph's struggle right from the start and they were never able to get into a rhythm as Nor'easters pitcher Katelyn Austin stymied the Lady Bears' bats, allowing only two hits in five innings with six punchouts.

New England got to St. Joseph's freshman starter Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) early, scoring four runs in the first inning in a repeat of the first game, but this time the Lady Bears could not recover as the Nor'easters scored a run in four out of the five innings, including two with three. McGowan finished the day allowing 11 runs (ten earned) on nine hits along with eight walks.

Perillo also had success at the dish, finishing 2-for-5 at the dish over the doubleheader, while Molinari concluded the day 3-for-7, including one of St. Joseph's two hits against New England, with a run scored and also threw out two runners from behind the plate.

TURNING POINT VS. ALFRED STATE

The Pioneers got on the board right away, sending eight batters to the plate with two runs scoring on an RBI single to left field and were also helped by four walks in the inning to take a 4-0 lead. The Lady Bears scored two in the second, helped by an RBI single from junior Shannon Rom (Breezy Point, N.Y./Bishop Kearney), and scored one in the fifth to cut the deficit to 4-3. Alfred State tacked on an insurance run in the top half of the seventh which proved to be the difference as a two-out rally by St. Joseph's got them within a run, but were not able to score the tying run.

TURNING POINT VS. NEW ENGLAND

The Lady Bears once again surrendered four runs in the first as the Nor'easters sent seven batters to the plate, led by three walks and a pair of singles, including a two-run single with two outs in the inning that gave New England a 4-0 lead. The Nor'easters would not look back as they plated runs in three of the next four innings to secure the win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORES

• Other Contributors: Rossi (1-for-4, RBI) Rom (1-for-5, RBI)
• St. Joseph's struggled with runners on base against Alfred State, leaving eight runners stranded during the contest, including the tying run on second and the winning run on first.
• The complete game for Perillo was the fifth of her career.

THE LADY BEAR FACTS

• St. Joseph's falls to 0-1 against both Alfred State and New England in the all-time series.
• The Lady Bears are now 6-16 all-time at the Gene Cusic Classic.
• St. Joseph's has not started season with a win since 2010.

NEXT UP FOR THE LADY BEARS - AT AVE MARIA

The Lady Bears will continue their Florida swing with a trip to fellow USCAA member Ave Maria for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m on Wednesday, March 19th.