FORT MYERS, FLA. — The St. Joseph's University, N.Y. – Brooklyn softball team opened their three-day stay at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic with a split of their games on Monday. The Bears dropped a 6-1 decision to Geneva College before coming away with a 11-0 triumph over Alverno College.
How it Happened vs. Geneva
Leila Heller (Belle Chasse, La.) tossed a pair of scoreless innings but the Bears were unable to break the 0-0 deadlock. The Golden Tornadoes opened the scoring with a single down the right field line in the top of the third, then extended their lead with a three-run fourth inning, making it 4-0. St. Joseph's responded in the bottom of the fourth, as Jessica Jakob (Covina, Calif.) hit an RBI single to bring Audrey Scott (Rocklin, Calif.) home, narrowing the gap to 4-1.
The Bears kept Geneva off the board in the fifth and sixth innings but the Pennsylvania-based outfit tacked on two more runs in their half of the seventh, further extending the lead to 6-1 and holding on for the win.
How it Happened vs. Alverno
The Bears did most of their damage in the first inning, scoring nine runs. Payton Walker (Eastvale, Calif.) got things started with a two-RBI double and later scored on Valarie Scott's (Tucson, Ariz.) double in the subsequent at-bat. Lauren Van Der Kamp (Sacramento, Calif.) singled in Scott and then crossed the plate herself on an error by the Inferno catcher, making it 5-0. In their second trips to the plate that inning, Olivia Martinez (Tomball, Texas), Vivian Garcia (Eastvale, Calif.), and Walker drove in the remaining three runs to push the score to 9-0.
Audrey Scott's double in the second brought the Bears to double figures before Jakob batted in her second run of the day in the fourth to confirm the navy and gray's run-rule victory.
For the Bears vs. Geneva
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Garcia went 2-for-4 while Jakob, Martinez, and Brielle Nelson (Chandler, Ariz.) all recorded hits.
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Heller pitched six innings in the defeat, registering a pair of strikeouts.
For the Bears vs. Alverno
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Walker finished 3-for-3 with three RBI, a pair of doubles, and a run scored.
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Garcia batted in a pair of runs as she went 2-for-3 at the plate. Both of her hits were doubles and she scored twice.
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Martinez, Van Der Kamp, and Kamryn Walls (Middle Village, N.Y.) all had two-hit games and scored two runs each.
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Van Der Kamp led the side with two stolen bases.
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Makena Burr (Foster City, Calif.) tossed her second complete-game one-hitter in as many starts, posting five strikeouts and a pair of walks.
Up Next
The Bears continue their Florida stay as they face Crown College (Minn.) at 11 am on Tuesday, March 18 before linking up with the Inferno at 1 pm.