NAPLES, FLA. — The St. Joseph's University, N.Y. (Brooklyn) softball team opened their 2024 season with a split of day one at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic; falling to the University of Wisconsin-Superior 2-12 before defeating North Central University (Minn.) 16-2 on Monday morning.
How it Happened vs. UW-Superior
After a scoreless first inning, the Yellow Jackets broke the game open in the top of the second; scoring five runs. Two of which came from first baseman Indigo Fish. The Bears got on the board in the bottom of the frame thanks to an Audrey Scott (Rocklin, Calif./Whitney) single that scored Vivian Garcia (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt).
Wisconsin-Superior followed the inning up with four runs in the third and three in the fourth to hold a sizable 12-1 advantage. The Bears added a second in the bottom of the fourth on a Lauren Van Der Kamp (Sacramento, Calif./Rosemont) sacrifice fly before falling 12-2.
How it Happened vs. North Central
Bella Gomez (Whittier, Calif./Sonora) and Arianna Heinsch (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall Academy) led the contest with back-to-back hits, eventually scoring to give the Bears an early 2-0 edge.
The second inning was the lone scoreless frame of the outing. Leila Heller (Belle Chasse, La./Belle Chasse), who started the game in the circle, aided her cause in the third with a bases-loaded single to plate Gomez. Newcomer Jessica Jakob (Covina, Calif./Edgewood) brought in a pair of runs in the next at-bat to increase the navy-and-gray lead to 5-0, ultimately growing to 8-0 by the fifth inning.
Jakob drew a bases-loaded walk to begin the sixth-inning scoring. Sofia Logreco (San Diego, Calif./Mission Hills) and Olivia Martinez (Tomball, Texas/Tomball Memorial) produced two-RBI hits in consecutive at-bats to grow the lead to 13-0. At 14-0, Heller also had a two-RBI single to give St. Joseph's a 16-0 advantage.
The Rams scored a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning but could not close the gap any further as Heller tossed a complete game, earning the first SJBK win of the campaign.
For the Bears vs. UW-Superior
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Garcia and Martinez each had two-hit games with the former, and Logreco, scoring runs.
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Autumn Poppett (San Diego, Calif./Mission Hills) was dealt the game-one defeat, tossing 3.2 innings.
For the Bears vs. North Central
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Heller allowed two runs, one earned, and three walks in six innings; striking out four Rams.
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Gomez went 4-for-4 with three runs scored.
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Heinsch and Heller each went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and the latter driving in as many runs.
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Jakob, Martinez, and Scott each had two-hit games with Jakob and Martinez each registering three RBI.
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The result marked the first victory for head coach Dino Mastropierro.
Up Next
The Bears continue their Florida trip on Tuesday, March 12 with games against Greenville University and the Rochester Institute of Technology beginning at 9 am.