Softball Sweeps Purchase in Season-Opening Doubleheader

Patchogue, NY| The St. Joseph's College (L.I.) softball team cruised to a pair of Skyline Conference victories, 15-0 and 8-0, over Purchase College in the team's season-opening doubleheader at SJC Softball Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The contests were SJC's first since May 4, 2019. The entirety of the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The wins ensure the Golden Eagles start the season with a 2-0 record as the Panthers drop to 0-2.

Game 1: SJC 15, Purchase 0 (5 innings)
A six-run first inning kicked off with senior Lindsay Ness' (2-for-3, 2 RBI) double to left center that scored senior Aryana Caputo (2-for-3, 1 RBI). Junior Victoria Iavarone (1-for-1 2 RBI) would later double down the left-field line to score freshman Madison DiSalvo (1-for-2) and senior Kassandra Tibbetts (1-for-4) before senior Lindsey McKenna's (2-for-2, 3 RBI) single to short sent Iavarone home. 

Senior Jenna Kreiling (1-for-2, 2 RBI) would ground out to second base and score McKenna to wrap the first-inning's scoring (6-0).  

Five more runs in the second inning saw the hosts go ahead 11-0 and a final four runs were added in the fourth for good measure. Senior Paige Csikortos (1-for-1, 1 RBI) scored DiSalvo with her first-career SJC hit, a single through the left side before freshman Samantha Dimezza (0-for-1, 1 RBI) brought Csikortos home via a ground out to second. 

The last two runs came off the bats of Caputo and Ness, who both singled and scored freshman Lauren Crawford (1-for-1) and junior Jenna DeFina (1-for-4), respectively. 

Junior Patricia McGloin (1-0) tossed all five innings, picked up the win, and fanned six batters.

Game 2: SJC 8, Purchase (5 innings)
Following a scoreless first inning, SJC opened the scoring in the second inning when Dimezza (1-for-3, 1 RBI)  tripled to right center, scoring Crawford (1-for-3). Freshman hurler Victoria Coman (1-for-1, 1 RBI) would go on to single to center field to send Dimezza home (2-0).

Two more runs came in the fourth for SJC via Iavarone's (3-for-4, 3 RBI) triple to left and Ness' (0-for-4) reaching first base on an error by the Purchase second baseman. Iavarone was the runner to score (4-0) off the error.

In the fifth inning, DeFina (4-for-4, 1 RBI) used an RBI single up the middle to extend the lead to six runs (6-0). Iavarone scored DeFina with the next at bat, setting up Tibbetts (3-for-4, 1 RBI)  to clinch victory for the Golden Eagles with an RBI single through the left side. 

Coman (1-0) got the start and pitched four innings in her collegiate debut, striking out three, and allowing four hits. McGloin came in to pitch the fifth inning, struck out one, and secured the save.

The Golden Eagles return to action tomorrow, Sunday, March 21, when they head up to Purchase to complete a four-game series with the Panthers. The first game of the doubleheader begins at 11:00 am. Live stats and video for both matches available at sjcgoldeneagles.com.