Newport News, VA - The John Jay softball team put a cap on the 2024 season on Friday afternoon after being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament regional, hosted by Christopher Newport University.
The Bloodhounds were slotted into the lower bracket for Friday's action after dropping their first outing of the regional to the host Captains, and faced a first time meeting with the Pfeiffer University Falcons in the second game of the day.
John Jay fell to the Falcons, 8-0, who advanced to another elimination game as part of the regional bracket.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bloodhounds' starting pitcher,
Lindsay Ogden, sat down the first three Falcons hitters she faced in order to keep Pfeiffer off the board in the first inning.
John Jay showed off plate discipline in the top of the second inning as they looked to jump on the home team.
Jailene Santiago worked a walk in her first at-bat of the game. With a runner on,
Sidney Bankston four pitches in an nine-pitch at-bat before connect with a ball that she hit down the third base line. The Pfeiffer infield attempted to turn a double play, tagging out Santiago but giving Bankston time to beat the throw to first.
A fly ball to center field off the bat of
Kelly Fajardo ended the frame for the Bloodhounds.
The Falcons' first hitter of the bottom of the second inning, Emily Dickerson, show comparable patience at the plate; fouling off five of Ogden's offerings before connecting with one that stayed between the lines into left center field.
Emma Bullin found space in the outfield in the next at-bat, putting two runners on for Alyssa Broaddus. The right fielder made solid contact, driving a ball through the center of the infield, scoring Dickerson's pinch runner, Madison Varner, and advancing Bullin.
The Bloodhounds notched the first out as Bankston fielded Abbie Yarboro's offering right back to
Maleea Gallaspy at home plate, preventing the run from scoring.
With runners on the corners, Pfeiffer's Charly Cooper hit a bouncing ball directly to
Rylea Sandel at shortstop, who threw out Cooper at first. Broaddus scored from third on the play to double the Falcons' lead, 2-0.
Four pitches later, Kyler Perdue turned on Ogden's offering and secured an RBI double with a ball to deep right center field. The Falcons third run of the bottom frame was the final of the inning.
Pfeiffer kept the Bloodhounds off the base paths in the top of the third inning. They added to their run total with the first batter in the bottom frame, as Emma Chopko drove a ball off the top of the left field fence for the first home run of the game.
John Jay was quick to get to the Falcons' second pitcher of the game, Kenzi Lyall, who replaced Kali Morton after four scoreless innings.
With two outs, Santiago roped a ball into the grass behind the Pfeiffer first baseman for the Bloodhounds' first hit of the game.
Cadolino attacked the first pitch she saw for a hard grounder past the shortstop, making it back-to-back hits for the first time on Friday.
Bankston made it three straight with a hit straight back to the pitcher's circle, tipping off Lyall's glove and into shallow centerfield. Cooper was quick to field the ball and deliver a perfect throw home to cut off Santiago sliding into the plate, ending the inning with the tag.
Lyall continued her production in batters box in the bottom of the fourth inning, taking advantage of loaded bases for a grand slam over the wall in left field. The four runs doubled the Pfeiffer lead, 8-0.
Ciaran Iglesias came in relief of Ogden for her eighth appearance of the season, retiring the side and allowing just one walk and no hits.
The Bloodhound hitters did not cut into the Falcon lead in the top of the fifth inning, and ended the game with the run rule in effect.
With the loss, the Bloodhounds were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
John Jay finished the season with a historic 32-14 record, earning their second consecutive CUNY Athletic Conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
