Softball Wins Second Straight in Walk-Off Over Hunter

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Freshman Ashleigh Hartwig (Santee, Calif./West Hills) batted 2-for-3 with three RBI, including the game-winning hit, and Victoria Mahoney (Allenwood, N.J./Saint John Vianney) struck out 11 as the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team walked off with a 4-3, come-from-behind victory over Hunter in their home opener on Friday at Gil Hodges Field. The Bears erased a six-run deficit in game two before it was called for darkness in the third, tied at 7-all.

Game 1: St. Joseph's 4, Hunter 3

The first two innings saw no hits on the board for either team, with pitcher Victoria Mahoney (Allenwood, N.J./Saint John Vianney) dealing, striking out five of her first six batters faced.

After the Hawks left their only hit of the third inning on base, rookie Vivian Tomovich (Serra,Calif./Serra) opened the scoring, launching a solo shot out to left field for her first collegiate home run. Fellow rookie Alexis Buchanan (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta) followed with a single, before stealing second base and reaching third on a passed ball in succession. A single through the left gap by Ashleigh Hartwig (Santee, Calif./West Hills) brought Buchanan home, giving St. Joseph's the 2-0 advantage after the third inning.

Hunter would answer back quickly with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, with Samantha Molloy delivering a two-out, two-run double to knot the game at 2-all.

Still tied at two headed to the final inning, the Hawks struck again with two outs on Allyson Bricker's double facing an 0-2 count that scored Molloy from second.

Trailing by a run, the Bears quickly applied the pressure with Jessica Vento (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) dropping in a single to center, Vivian Tomovich (San Diego, Calif./Serra) walking, and Mahoney legging out a single in her sacrifice attempt to load the bases. After a force out a home on a grounder, Hartwig delivered the game-winning single that scored Tomovich and Mahoney to complete the walkoff comeback.

Game 2: St. Joseph's 7, Hunter 7 (called in third due to darkness)

After matching runs in the first, Hunter knocked seven hits and scored six runs in the second to build a 7-1 lead. The Bears matched the Hawks in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by a Brianna Baglino (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) two-run blast that tied the game.

But with sunset approaching quickly in the third, the game was called due to darkness and will finish as a no contest (with no stats or records affected) not having reached the regulation five innings.

For the Bears

• Ashleigh Hartwig batted 2-for-3 with three RBI and a walk.
• Alexis Buchanan (2-for-4, R) and Jessica Vento (2-for-3) both compiled multi-hits games.
• Victoria Mahoney went the distance in the circle to improve to 2-2, striking out 11, walking none, with three runs coming on seven hits.
• Vivian Tomovich (1-for-2) scored twice, walked twice and drove in a run.

Next Up for the Bears

With tomorrow's originally scheduled game against Drew postponed, the Bears open Skyline Conference play on Tuesday against Yeshiva University. First pitch at Fordham University for game one of the doubleheader is set for 6 p.m. with live stats and video available on www.SJCBears.com.