BROOKLYN, NY -- After rain all day Saturday forced an adjustment to the CUNYAC Softball Championship schedule, #2 John Jay and #1 Hunter got a chance to go to battle in a best-of-three series to decide the conference champion on Sunday afternoon at BC Field. The Hawks won the first game of the day, 11-9, but John Jay bounced back to even up the series with an 11-9 victory in game two. In the winner take all game three of what turned out to be an incredibility thrilling series, the Bloodhounds had an early lead before Hunter came from behind to earn an 8-6 win to secure the CUNYAC title. 

John Jay got off to a quick start in game one, scoring two runs in the top of the first thanks to an RBI double from freshman Angelina Schoelles and an RBI single from freshman Emily Sperl. After three more runs in the top of the third, Hunter rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the third to take a 7-5 lead. Didn't take long for the Bloodhounds to answer, as freshman Maleea Gallaspy doubled in a pair to tie the game in the top of the fourth. Sperl followed that up with a two-run single to put John Jay back in front, but the Hawks re-took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the frame, and held on for the victory. 

Despite the game one loss, the Bloodhounds did not want to see their season come to an end. Schoelles got John Jay on the board first again in the top of the first with an RBI single, and the team broke the game open in the top of the second inning. The Bloodhounds put up a seven spot, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Gallaspy, an RBI single from freshman Mackenzie Tresch, and another RBI from Sperl. John Jay's lead was 11-4 after four and a half innings, and things looked to be in control. However, the Hawks rallied and scored five unanswered runs to cut the deficit to two. Hunter had a rally brewing in the final inning, but sophomore America Rivera was able to close things out to earn the victory. 

In the do or die game three, John Jay once again got out to an early lead. Like clockwork, Schoelles drove in the first run of the game, this time on a sacrifice fly, in the top of the first inning. After an RBI double and RBI triple from freshman Rylea Sandel in consecutive innings, along with another RBI each from Gallaspy and Schoelles, the Bloodhounds led 6-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth. In the end, the number one seed prevailed as the Hawks scored six runs in the fifth to take the lead and gain control of the game. Hunter closed things out in the seventh to earn the conference title. 

John Jay finishes the season with a 17-21 record, and a 14-6 mark in the conference. Hunter will advance to the DIII NCAA Softball Tournament.