Virginia Beach, VA – The John Jay softball opened up the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Regionals on Thursday morning, falling to the No. 1 ranked Virginia Wesleyan, 14-0, in five innings.
The Bloodhounds, who stand at 18-21 overall, will now face off against Pfeiffer, who fell to Manhattanville, 2-1, in the second game, on Friday, May 15 at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination game. The Marlins, who remain undefeated on the year at 46-0, will square off against Manhattanville at 11:30 a.m.
Virginia Wesleyan capitalized on defensive miscues early and never looked back, scoring three runs in the first inning before erupting for six more in the second to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
The Bloodhounds recorded three hits in the contest, highlighted by singles from
Kelly Fajardo,
Kendal Bryant, and
Sidney Bankston. Bryant also reached base twice with a walk, while
Kayla Sauers added a free pass.
The defending four-time CUNYAC champions John Jay threatened in the fifth inning when Bankston singled, Sauers walked, and Fajardo delivered a two-out base hit to load the bases, but the Marlins escaped the jam to secure the run-rule victory.
Virginia Wesleyan struck first in the opening frame after an error allowed the game's first run to score before Taylor McQueen delivered an RBI single to make it 3-0. The Marlins widened the gap in the second inning as Alison Pollack launched a two-run homer to center field and Olivia Knight followed with a solo shot to left field.
Pollack finished 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI, while Knight added a homer and RBI of her own. McQueen also drove in two runs, and Riley Curtice scored three times for the Marlins. Sarah Prosser crossed the plate three times and drew three walks as part of Virginia Wesleyan's patient offensive approach.
Inside the circle, unbeaten Emma Adams improved to 22-0 after tossing three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two. Savannah Ballou and Emma Orr combined to close out the shutout effort.
For John Jay,
Lindsay Ogden got the start and suffered the loss after pitching two innings, while
Natalie Graham worked the final two frames in relief.
