Farmingdale State Hands Softball Pair of Two-Run Decisions

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. —  The St. Joseph's University Brooklyn softball team suffered a pair of 5-3 defeats to league-leading Farmingdale State College on Sunday afternoon in Skyline Conference play. The Bears (17-9, 5-7) fell behind early and clawed back within one on both ends, but couldn't overtake the Rams (20-3, 11-1).

Game 1: Farmingdale 5, St. Joseph's 3

The Bears fell behind early with the hosts scoring in pairs over the first two frames for a 4-0 lead.

St. Joseph's got on the board in the third with Arianna Heinsch (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall Academy) belting a two-out triple that scored Bella Gomez (Whittier, Calif./Sonora) who drew a walk two-batters earlier. The duo teamed up again in the fifth with Gomez walking and coming home on Heinsch's second triple of the game. Heinsch came home on a wild pitch to pull the Bears within one, 4-3.

The Rams got one back in the home half of the fifth and held the Bears hitless over the final two frames to close out the game.

The Bears were held to three hits with Heinsch finishing 2-for-3 with two triples and driving in both runs and Ashleigh Hartwig (Santee, Calif./West Hills) batting 1-for-3. Autumn Poppett (San Diego, Calif./Mission Hills) went the distance in the circle and took the loss.

Game 2: Farmingdale 5, St. Joseph's 3

The hosts took an early lead again with three quick runs. The navy-and-gray started to chip away at the deficit in the fourth. Heinsch singled, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on a passed ball. In the fifth, the Bears pulled within one, 3-2, after Lauren Van Der Kamp (Sacramento, Calif./Rosemont) belted a two-out triple and Bella Gomez delivered her home with a single.

But the Rams pulled away again in the bottom of the fifth with a pair for a 5-2 lead. The Bears started to make some noise in the seventh after back-to-back hits by Sofia Logreco (San Diego, Calif./Mission Hills) and Poppett's triple brought in a run, but a double play slowed down the momentum for the comeback bid.

Van Der Kamp and Poppett both finished 2-for-3 and tripled; Poppett driving in a run and Van Der Kamp scoring once. Allison Kaspar (Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point) took the loss after 4.1 innings in the start in the circle and Jessica Mecham (West Jordan, Utah/Copper Hills) tossed 1.2 innings of one-hit, shutout ball.

Next Up

The Bears play their third straight doubleheader in as many days, heading to the Garden State tomorrow to face Yeshiva University. First pitch for the Skyline twinbill is set for 5 p.m. at Overpeck Park.