Game1 Game 2
New York, N.Y.—The John Jay softball team earned a sweep on Friday afternoon as the Bloodhounds won a pair of games over the College of St. Elizabeth’s. John Jay won the first game 5-1 and took the nightcap 13-5.
In the opening contest the Bloodhounds got two runs in the first inning and three more in the second to take a 5-0 and were never threatened in the win.
After starting pitcher Erica Esposito (Dix Hills, NY/ Half Hollow Hills) struck out the side in the top of the first the Bloodhounds scored a pair of runs in the bottom half. First Danielle Bonici (Staten Island, NY/ St. Peter’s Girls) crossed home plate when Diana Lopez (Richmond Hill, NY/ Richmond Hill) reached on a fielder’s choice. Later in the inning Pamela Peralta (Bronx, NY/ John F Kennedy) scored on an RBI single by Marlenne Nunez (Bronx, NY/ Bronx Leadership).
John Jay tacked on three more runs in the second with one swing of the bat as Esposito helped her cause by catapulting the softball off her bat for a three run homer to right field to make the score 5-0.
Esposito then cruised the rest of the way on the mound as she struck out a season-high 13 batters in the game and held the Eagles to one run on six hits while walking one to earn the win.
In the second game St. Elizabeth’s got a run across in the top of the first inning to grab their first lead of the day.
But the Bloodhounds, who scored in each inning of the second game, quickly reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the first on a pair of unearned runs. With Esposito on first, Lopez ripped a single up the middle and scored on the play as the ball went five-hole through the Eagles’ centerfielder’s legs allowing Esposito and Lopez to trot home and give John Jay a 2-1 lead.
The Bloodhounds got four more runs in the bottom of the second as Esposito ripped another extra base hit, a three run bases clearing triple, to give John Jay a 5-1 lead. Esposito then came in to score on an RBI single by Lopez.
The Bloodhounds tacked on another run in the third as an infield single by Katie Koeppel (Danbury, CT/ Danbury) would drive in Nunez from third.
St. Elizabeth’s got two runs back in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 7-3. But a four run fourth inning by the Bloodhounds made the score 11-3. John Jay got four runs on no hits in the frame, but five consecutive walks helped the cause to put John Jay in position for a mercy rule win.
But the Eagles battled back and took two runs back in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer to deep centerfield.
John Jay then answered the call in the bottom of the fifth to retake an eight-run lead to win via the mercy rule.
John Jay got the first run back as Arlene Pena (Bronx, NY/ Lehman) reached on a fielder’s choice to drive in Esposito. Later in the inning Dayna Navatta (Queens, NY/ Bayside) delivered the game winning hit as she ripped a single into left field to bring home Lopez to seal the deal.
For the contest seven of John Jay’s nine batters got at least one hit, and eight batters reached base.
Esposito and Lopez both went 2-for-3 and scored three times, while Nunez and Pena scored twice.
John Jay also got three RBI’s from Esposito and two each from Pena, Navatta, and Koeppel.
Pitching wise Esposito allowed five runs on five hits and struck out five giving her 18 strikeouts over the doubleheader,
John Jay returns to action on Tue. Apr. 17 for a doubleheader against conference rival Hunter College, 3 p.m. at the Coleman Oval.
