FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's University, New York (Brooklyn) softball team saw its 2026 season come to an end Tuesday night, falling 2-6 to SUNY Old Westbury in the opening round of the Skyline Conference Championship at Farmingdale State College.
The Panthers broke a scoreless tie in the third inning, using a pair of RBI singles to fuel a four-run frame. Old Westbury maintained control through the middle innings before adding insurance runs in the sixth and seventh, punctuated by an RBI double to left field that extended the lead to 6-0.
The Bears attempted a late rally in the bottom of the seventh. Brielle Nelson (Chandler, Ariz.), drove a two-run infield single to score Payton Walker (Eastvale, Calif.) and Vivan Garcia (Eastvale, Calif.), cutting the deficit to four. However, the Bears were unable to cause further damage as the Panthers held on for the victory.
Nelson accounted for the lone hit of the night for St. Joseph's, while Walker, Garcia, and Audrey Scott (Rocklin, Calif.) each reached base on walks. Leila Heller (Belle Chasse, La.) took the loss after pitching three innings. Makena Burr (Foster City, Calif.) provided four innings of relief, striking out five batters.
The Bears finish the campaign with a 20-15 overall record and a 12-6 mark in Skyline play. The appearance marked the program's fourth conference playoff berth in five seasons and its seventh in school history. They finish with 20 wins for the sixth consecutive season.
