Softball Takes Two From Sage on Sunday

Written by Andrew Capitelli (SJC-LI Sports Information)

Patchogue, NY| Senior Mallory McClafferty belted a grand slam and collected two victories on the mound as the St. Joseph's College (L.I.) softball team stunned Skyline contender Sage in a two-game sweep—6-3, 5-4—in Patchogue on Sunday afternoon. With the wins, the Golden Eagles improve to 19-13 (11-5 Skyline) on the year and move to within one game of fourth-place Farmingdale, while the Gators slide to 25-13 (14-4 Skyline) and remain in second place.

Game 1: SJC 6, Sage 3

Sage posted two runs in the top of the first but SJC responded in the bottom half of the inning when Megan Leun's RBI single scored McClafferty to cut the deficit in half (2-1). The Gators again went up two runs in the third via a Jessica Adams RBI single, but Gabrielle Cinquemani matched Adams' score with an RBI single of her own in the bottom of the third (3-2).

Following a scoreless top of the fourth for the Gators, the Golden Eagles found their breakthrough by way of a Mallory McClafferty grand slam—her fifth home run of the season—in the bottom of the fourth, which created a three-run advantage for SJC that proved to be insurmountable for Sage, who suffered the 6-3 defeat.

McClafferty fanned four Gators in a complete game effort, while Sage's Katie Kovage (9-3) took the loss for the guests.

McClafferty also went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate and recorded four RBI's and two runs. Lindsey Corriss was 1-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base.

Game 2: SJC 5, Sage 4

The Gators posted a two-spot in the top of the first once again, but this time expanded their lead to three runs in the top of the third when Alexa Silk's RBI single scored Morgan Dunn.

SJC tallied its first run in the bottom of the fifth when Kristen Arbiter scored Corriss with a single to center field, and later in the inning Leun's two-RBI double to right knotted the game up at three.

After Nicole Baron's single scored Sandra Foster in the bottom of the sixth, the Golden Eagles looked poised to close out the game in the top of the seventh, but Silk's RBI single to right with two outs scored Adams and tied the game at four.

After Leun and Foster got out in the top of the seventh, Elizabeth Rohme reached on an error by the Sage second baseman which allowed Cinquemani to score from second and clinch the 5-4 win for the hosts.

McClafferty (8-4) struck out two and claimed her second complete game victory of the afternoon. For Sage it was Lindsay Brace (10-6) who suffered the loss.

Corriss went 3-for-4 and picked up a run and a stolen base in the contest. The senior is now hitting .439 on the year.

Cinquemani (2-4, 1 run) was the only other Golden Eagle to record multiple hits.