Softball Walks Off Against Capital and Defeats Northern Vermont-Johnson to Sweep Day Two of The Spring Games

CLERMONT, Fla. — After splitting their season-opening doubleheader on their first day at The Spring Games in the Sunshine State, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team (3-1) defeated Capital University (1-4) on a walk-off in extra innings, 5-4, to open day two.

Then, in the afternoon, the Bears faced off with Northern Vermont University-Johnson (0-8) for the second time in two days and topped the Badgers, 21-4, behind Vivan Tomovich's (San Diego, Calif./Serra) 4-for-5 game with three RBI and two runs.

How It Happened vs. Capital
Sophomore Allison Kaspar (Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point) got the start in the circle for the Bears and held the Crusaders scoreless for the first four innings allowing just two hits over that span. SJC got their offense going in the bottom of the second as freshman Nicole Trani (Staten Island, N.Y./Moore Catholic) hit a two-out double to left which set up Tomovich for an RBI single up the middle to open the scoring.

The score remained 1-0 until the top of inning five as Alyx Slusher roped a leadoff double to left-center. She received a pinch-runner who was sac-bunted to third and driven home on an infield single from Hannah Marin that tied things up at one. Capital kept it going in the sixth with an SJC error putting their leadoff batter on and both a wild pitch and passed ball advancing her to third.

The following two hitters found holes in left field with a single and a double, respectively, as two runs came across to give the Crusaders a 3-1 lead late. That score held until the bottom of the second when SJC began to rally, first with a Trani base-knock to center. Sophomore Gabriella Salvador (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) followed with a pinch-hit single and then a CU error loaded the bases for the Bears.

Emily Burroughs (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual) stepped up next and ripped a single to left to bring SJC within one, 3-2. Then, reigning Skyline Player of the Year Ashleigh Hartwig (Santee, Calif./West Hills) knotted the score at three with a sac-fly to center which sent the game to extra innings.

Following international tiebreaker rules, the last out of the previous frame is placed at second base to begin each extra inning. So, Capital opened the top of the eighth with Lauren Kachure on second and she was immediately sac-bunted to third. Then, Haley Grau reached on an error that scored Kachure, but the Bears held them to just one run as they went into the bottom half trailing 4-3.

Casey Bennett (Sacramento, Calif./Bella Vista) pinch-ran as the placed runner at second in St. Joseph's half of the eighth and she advanced to third on a wild pitch. A walk and misplayed bunt followed to load the bases then Trani came up next and reached on a fielder's choice that drove in Bennett to tie the game. Back-to-back force outs at the plate had the bases still juiced with two outs, but Sierra Bedrin (Rocklin, Calif/Whitney) put the ball in play reaching via error and scoring Trani for the walk-off, game-winning tally.

How It Happened vs. Northern Vermont-Johnson
The first inning was scoreless in this one but the Bears broke out in the top of the second, beginning with an RBI from senior Jessica Vento (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) that scored Trani, who walked. Fellow senior Gabriella Fielding (Melville, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills) followed with a two-bagger that scored Vento while Bedrin, Hartwig, and Alexis Buchanan (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta) also doubled in what became a seven-run second.

An SJC error and pair of NVU singles set the Badgers up with bases loaded in the bottom of the third, but the Bears limited the damage as just one run came across on a passed ball making it a 7-1 game after three. Five St. Joseph's hits led to two more scores in the fourth, but they stranded the bases loaded as they led 9-1.

A bases-clearing double from Kristy Svarczkopf put three runs on the board for the Badgers in the bottom of the fourth as they looked to climb back into it down 9-4 after four. However, SJC quickly reclaimed the momentum with 10 singles in the top of the fifth — paired with two NVU errors — as 16 batters came to the plate in the frame leading to 12 runs as they put the game away and won 21-4 in five innings with the run-rule.

For the Bears vs. Capital

• Trani was the only Bear with multiple hits going 2-for-4 with three runs, a double, and a RBI.
• Burroughs, Tomovich, and Hartwig all drove in a run apiece while Burroughs picked up a steal on the basepaths.
• Kaspar pitched five innings allowing five hits and just two earned runs while Jessica Mecham (West Jordan, Utah/Copper Hills) hurled the final three frames to pick up the win giving up two hits and no earned runs with a pair of strikeouts.

For the Bears vs. Northern Vermont-Johnson

• Tomovich led the way with a 4-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, a double, and a stolen base; she also tossed two innings in the circle.
• Fielding went off for four RBI on 3-for-5 hitting with two runs and a double.
• Rookie Maeve McKeon (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Borough) was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs and a pair of RBI.
• Vanessa Quigley (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp), Isabella Calabrese (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge), Bedrin (2B, SB), and Hartwig (2B) all had two RBI in the win.
• Freshman Tayler Faraguna (San Diego, Calif./San Pasqual) with a run and a RBI.
• Salvador spun three scoreless innings for the win giving up just three hits and striking out one.

Next Up
The Bears have the day off tomorrow but resume play at The Spring Games on Saturday (Feb. 29) playing New England College at 10 a.m. and Concordia-Moorehead at 2:30 p.m. Links to live video will be available at SJCBears.com/live.