Softball Returns to Win Column with Sweep of Old Westbury; Gomez Garners 100 Career Hits

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. — Bella Gomez (Whittier, Calif./Sonora) became the second member of the St. Joseph's University, N.Y. (Brooklyn) softball team to cross the 100-hit mark this season, doing so in the eighth inning of their 3-2 game-one win over the SUNY College at Old Westbury on Friday night.

The senior infielder batted 3-for-5 with a pair of runs and as many RBI in the nightcap to secure the sweep of the Panthers, 7-3. Rookie Vivian Garcia (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt) also drove in two runs in the triumph, batting 2-for-5.

How it Happened (Game 1)

The hosts drew first blood on Alaina Reilly's two-run home run in the bottom of the first. The Bears tied the contest in the fourth as Gomez tripled to right field, sending home Olivia Martinez (Tomball, Texas/Tomball Memorial) and Lauren Van Der Kamp (Sacramento, Calif./Rosemont).

With two outs in the top of the eighth, Van Der Kamp reached base courtesy of a double. She ultimately scored the game-winning run on Gomez's milestone hit, an opposite-field double, to take game one, 3-2.

How it Happened (Game 2)

Gomez scored the first run of the nightcap thanks to Payton Walker's (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt) single in the third inning. The Panthers responded with an RBI single of their own in the home hald of the inning.

Gomez belted a two-RBI double in the fourth before back-to-back hits in the fifth – a triple from Garcia and a single from Autumn Poppett (San Diego, Calif./Mission Hills) – saw the SJBK lead expand to 5-1.

Now leading 5-2 in the sixth, Garcia singled to right centerfield to restore the Bears' four run lead, 6-2. They tacked on a seventh in the seventh inning behind Sofia Logreco's (San Diego, Calif./Mission Hills) base-knock. Old Westbury scored in the bottom of the seventh but could not apply further damage, confirming the navy and gray's 7-3 win.

For the Bears (Game 1)

Going 2-for-5, Gomez drove in all three runs.
Logreco went 2-for-4.
Van Der Kamp batted 1-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
Martinez registered a hit and scored a run.
Garcia, Poppett, and Jessica Jakob (Covina, Calif./Edgewood) all had base hits.
Poppett earned the win in the circle, pitching all eight innings while picking up a six-pack of strikeouts.

For the Bears (Game 2)

Batting 3-for-5, Gomez finished the day 5-for-10 with five RBI. She had a two doubles and as many runs scored in the nightcap.
Garcia hit a triple and scored a run to go with her 2-for-5, two-RBI day at the plate.
Walker drove a run and crossed the plate as she batted 2-for-3.
Arianna Heinsch (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall Academy) rounded out an SJBK quartet with two-plus hits.
Martinez and Logreco each batted 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Leila Heller (Belle Chasse, La./Belle Chasse) tossed a complete-game win, striking out five.