The Baruch College Bearcats fell in both games of a non-conference softball doubleheader against the Bears of St. Joseph’s University of Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon, dropping a 12-4 decision in the opener before suffering a 5-4 walk-off loss in the nightcap at LIU Post.
Baruch jumped out to an early lead in the first game, plating two runs in the top of the first inning on RBI singles from Ava Lavery and Leilani Jimenez. The Bearcats added another run in the second when Grace Osuch scored on Megan Bell’s sacrifice bunt, extending the lead to 3-0.
St. Joseph’s got on the board in the third inning, cutting the deficit to 3-1 on a wild pitch. The Bearcats responded in the fourth as Mina Barriga delivered an RBI single to push the advantage to 4-1. However, the Bears broke the game open in the bottom of the inning, erupting for 11 runs to seize control and cruise to a 12-4 victory.
Barriga led the Bearcats in the opener, going 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Payton Walker powered the Bears’ offense, finishing 3-for-4 with four RBI.
The second game was a stark contrast, with both teams locked in a tight contest throughout. Baruch once again struck early, scoring twice in the top of the first inning on RBI doubles by Barriga and Lavery. The Bears answered immediately with two runs in their half of the inning and tacked on two more in the third to take a 4-2 lead.
Facing their final at-bat, the Bearcats mounted a rally as Barriga came through again, lacing a two-run double to tie the game at 4-4. St. Joseph’s responded in the bottom of the inning, pushing across the winning run on a walk-off to secure a 5-4 win and complete the doubleheader sweep.
Barriga finished the day with two doubles and three RBI for the Bearcats, while Brielle Nelson scored two runs to lead the Bears.
The Bearcats return to action on Wednesday, heading to Newark, N.J. for a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader at Rutgers–Newark.
Read Full Article