Three-Home Run Frame, Mecham’s 100th K Highlights Softball’s Sweep of Purchase

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — A 12-run fourth inning highlighted by a grand slam and two-run home run from Arianna Heinsch (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall Academy) and a Briana Kilimet (Valley Stream, N.Y./Sacred Heart) grand slam powered the St. Joseph's University Brooklyn softball team to a 23-2 game one victory over Purchase College on Saturday afternoon. 

The Bears fell behind in game two, but scored six unanswered runs for a 6-2 triumph for the sweep. Senior Jessica Mecham (West Jordan, Utah/Copper Hills) went the distance in the circle in game two and struck out six to become the 10th member of the 100-strikeout club.

With the sweep, the Bears (17-7, 5-5) leveled their Skyline record and moved ahead of Purchase (8-14, 4-6) and into playoff position in fifth place.

Game 1: St. Joseph's 22, Purchase 3

Sierra Bedrin's (Rocklin, Calif./Whitney) second-inning sacrifice fly was enough to send Sofia Logreco (San Diego, Calif./Mission Hills) home to open the scoring. A Panther fielding error allowed a pair of runs to score with Alexis Buchanan's (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley) RBI single capping off the four-run frame.

The Bears continued their offensive outburst in the following stanza, scoring all of their runs with two outs. Lauren Van Der Kamp's (Sacramento, Calif./Rosemont) sac fly made it 5-0 before Heinsch's bases-clearing triple increased the lead to 8-0. Another defensive miscue and singles from Vivian Tomovich (San Diego, Calif./Serra) and Logreco gave St. Joseph's an 11-0 advantage.

Kilimet reached on a botched fly ball and scored on Bella Hurtado's (San Diego, Calif./Olympian) base knock to begin the bottom of the fourth. The bases were loaded once again loaded for Heinsch who, this time belted a grand slam to left; ballooning the lead to 16-0. Not long after the first out was recorded, the navy and gray reloaded the bases for Kilimet in her second at-bat of the inning. The sophomore went yard, hitting a grand slam of her own and her first collegiate homer.

Still in the fourth with two outs and the Bears leading 21-0, Heinsch launched a two-run shot to left, her second homer of the inning — the first known player in program history to hit two home runs in the same inning — to further extend the lead to 23-0.

Autumn Poppett (San Diego, Calif./Mission Hills) who tossed four scoreless innings allowing just one hit and a walk, saw her shutout spoiled in the fifth, and Gabriella Salvador (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) came on in relief for the final two outs to preserve the 23-2 win. Poppett struck out five over 4.1 innings to improve to 6-2 in the circle on the season.

Heinsch finished 3-for-5 with nine RBI, three runs, two home runs and a triple. Kilimet finished 1-for-2 with four RBI. Hurtado and Logreco both went 2-for-2; Hurtado scoring four times and driving in a run, Logreco collecting a RBI, two runs, and a double. Tomovich went 2-for-3 with two runs and a RBI.

Game 2: St. Joseph's 6, Purchase 2

After the high-scoring affair in the opener, game two saw a scoreless deadlock over first three innings. Bears starter Mecham's strikeout to end the first was her milestone 100th K and stranded a runner at second. The Bears threatened in the second loading the bases, but came up empty-handed.

Purchase drew first blood in the fourth with Alexandria Perez lifting a two-run HR just over the left field wall, but that would be the lone runs surrendered by Mecham. St. Joseph's halved the deficit in the bottom half after back-to-back singles from Hurtado and Hartwig.

The navy-and-gray posted three in the fifth to take the lead for good. Heinsh led off the frame with a single and scored on a Buchanan double to tie the game. Two batters later, Kilimet laced a double to score Buchanan and Hartwig scored Kilimet with a two-out single.

St. Joseph's added twoo insurance runs in the sixth after back-to-back leadoff hits by Kristen Oddo (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) and Tomovich. Oddo scoring on a wild pitch and Tomovich coming home on a Buchanan sac fly.

The Panthers assembled a two-out threat in the seventh knocking two singles and had the tying run in the on-deck circle, but Mecham closed out her third-straight win with her sixth strikeout of the game.

Hartwig finished 3-for-3 with two RBI. Buchanan went 1-for-3 with two RBI, a run scored and a double. Vivian Tomovich belted two doubles in a 2-for-4 effort. Hurtado and Maeve McKeon (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant) both went 2-for-3.

The Bear Facts

• The three-home run fourth in the opener set three program firsts — most home runs in an inning, two grand slams in the same inning, and two home runs by a player in the same inning.
• Heinsch's nine RBI in game one finished one shy of matching the Bears single-game record.
• Heinsch's two home runs in the game matched a feat set six times previously.
• Ranked third in the nation in scoring entering the weekend, the Bears posted their third 20-plus-run game of the season.

Next Up

Winners of eight of their last nine, the Bears square off with Farmingdale State — who sit in a tie atop the league standings — on Sunday, April 24. First pitch of the Skyline twin bill is set for 11 a.m. with live stats and video at sjcbears.com/live.