Softball Sweeps Purchase on Senior Day

Softball Sweeps Purchase on Senior Day

Patchogue, NY| The St. Joseph's College (L.I.) softball team picked up a pair of victories, 8-1 and 9-0, over SUNY Purchase in a Senior Day doubleheader at the SJC Softball Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The wins ensure the Golden Eagles finish their regular season with a 19-13 record and a 13-3 mark in Skyline play. SJC enters the conference championship tournament as the second seed.

Game 1: SJC 8, Purchase 1

After opening the scoring in the first inning (2-0), SJC pulled ahead 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth when junior Elise Grau (3-for-3) scored freshmen Lindsay Ness (4-for-4) and Katelynn Valente (0-for-0) with a two-RBI single up the middle.

Purchase brought one run back in the top of the sixth (4-1), but the hosts responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up 8-1. Sophomore Aryana Caputo (1-for-2) capped off the game's scoring with an RBI single to left.

Freshman Catherine Zucker (7-5) struck out nine batters and allowed five hits in a complete-game victory for SJC.

Game 2: SJC 9, Purchase 0 (5 innings)

A four-run first inning set the tone for SJC, which dominated the second game of the doubleheader.

Junior Alyssa Rivera (1-for-3)  added a run (5-0) in the second with a ground out to second, senior Lyndsay Smocer drove in three more runs (8-0) in the third with a double to right center, and junior Meagan McClinchey (1-for-1) wrapped the afternoon's scoring with a RBI single in the fourth frame (9-0).

Valente (3-2) picked up the win for the Golden Eagles in the pitcher's circle in a three-strike out performance by the freshman.

Senior Jillian McFadzen was 1-for-1 and scored three times in the final regular season game of her career. Smocer was 2-for-3 with three RBI's.

SJC earns a bye to the double-elimination portion of the Skyline Conference Softball Championship, which will begin next Friday, May 3.