Brooklyn, N.Y.- The no. 2 seeded Hunter College softball team fell to no. 1 John Jay in a pair of games on Saturday afternoon in the CUNYAC Championship double-elimination tournament, as John Jay secured the conference title for the second consecutive year.
Game 1: Hunter 1, John Jay 9
John Jay got on the board first in the top of the opening inning to take a 1-0 lead over the Hawks but Hunter was quick to respond in the top of the second frame.
Nicole Bowe secured Hunter's first hit of the day with a single to left field, as she advanced to second off of a sacrifice fly from Grave Basil, to put her in scoring position. A single from
Elizabeth Thompson, gave her an RBI as Bowe crossed the plate to even the score 1-1. In response to the Hawks, the Bloodhounds put up an impressive three runs in at the bottom of the second inning, grabbing a 4-1 edge over the Hawks. Despite the team's best efforts, Hunter's offense was stifled by John Jay, unable to accumulate any additional runs, the Hawks ultimately fell 1-9 after seven innings.
Hunter struggled on the mound, with a combination of
T'ea Panagakos,
Alyssa Curiale, and Brielle Stacksavage, each giving up three earned runs in the loss. Thompson led the Hawks' offense going 2-2 with an RBI. Olivia Pulumbo,
Paige Witalec, and Bowe each added a hit for Hunter's five total for the first game.
Game 2: Hunter 1, John Jay 2
The second game of the day opened up quietly through the first three frames for both teams. At the top of the fourth, Hunter got on the scoreboard first with an unearned run by
Sophia Perez. Perez opening up the frame with a single, adding a second base off of a fielding error by John Jay. Bowe also capitalized on the Bloodhounds' fielding struggles, after she advanced to second on a throwing error following her single, which sent Perez home to give the Hawks' the lead. Hunter stifled John Jays offense for the next two innings but the Bloodhounds added two runs in the bottom of the sixth, ultimately securing a walk-off win after Hunter went down in order at the top of the seventh frame, earning the team's second consecutive CUNYAC title.
Perez went 2-3 in the second game, including a triple. Basil, Thompson, and Bowe each had hits with the last also securing an RBI off of Perez's run. Panagako's faced 23 batters through 5.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs across eight hits, while forcing 11 ground outs.
