FARMINGDALE – Samantha Bendig connected on a pair of home runs and drove in four runs, but the Mount Saint Mary College Softball team was limited to just five hits as it was eliminated from the 2022 Skyline Conference Championship on Friday following a 17-5 loss to fifth seeded St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn.
Friday’s loss to the Bears drops the Mount to 20-18 overall on the season while St.
Joseph’s-Brooklyn improves to 24-13.
The Bears wasted little time jumping in front, getting an unearned run and an RBI sacrifice bunt from Ashleigh Hartwig to open an early 2-0 lead.
The St. Joseph’s advantage grew to 4-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth and the 5-0 with a single tally in the fifth.
The Bears scored their third run on another sacrifice bunt before getting another run scoring single from Hartwig to build the four-run advantage.
In the fifth, Lauren Van Der Kamp delivered Nicole Triani with a single for a 5-0 lead.
Mount Saint Mary got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with its first two runs of the contest.
Olivia Ferara doubled to leadoff the inning and later crossed on a Laura Dentato sacrifice fly.
Bendig immediately followed with her sixth home run of the season to cut the disadvantage to 5-2.
Mount Saint Mary rallied to knot the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth, taking advantage of two hits, a walk and a hit better.
Melanie McClinchey was hit with a pitch and Ferara walked with one out ahead of a two-out, three run home run to left center from Bendig that evened the score at 5-5.
Jenna Cendeno singled following the Bendig blast and two runners reached in the seventh, but the Mount was unable to scratch across another run.
After seeing its five-run advantage slip away, St. Joseph’s erupted for 12 runs on eight hits in the top of the seventh.
Arianna Heinsch started the scoring in the seventh with a two-run double.
Van Der Kamp added a two-run single that pushed the Bears in front 11-5.
With two outs in the inning, five straight batters drove in runs for St. Joseph’s, including a two-run single from Hartwig and a run scoring double from Sofia Logreco that closed out the scoring in the game.
For The Knights
Mount Saint Mary was outhit in the game 19-5.
Bendig recorded two of the team’s five hits, finishing up 2-for-3 with two home runs, a walk, two runs scored and four RBI. She closes the season with a team-high seven round trippers and 28 RBI.
Ferara doubled, drew a walk and scored two runs for the Knights.
Jenna Cendeno (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Victoria Santomauro each finished with a hit and a walk.
McClinchey, Cedeno and Sofia Gannon all walked and were hit with pitches.
Christen Hansen made the start and took a no decision. She worked 4.2 innings and allowed eight runs on 11 hits.
Ferara suffered the loss, allowing nine runs in 2.1 innings of work.
For The Bears
Six different Bears finished with at least two hits in the game.
Bella Gomez and Heinsch each went 2-for-4 with four runs scored. Gomez doubled and Heinsch finished with four RBI.
Hartwig went 4-for-4 with a double, runs scored and five RBI.
Van Der Kamp went 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBI.
Logreco doubled in a 2-for-5 day, adding a run and two RBI.
Bella Hurtado finished up 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Autumn Poppett worked the first 5.0 innings in the circle, taking a no decision after surrendering two runs on two hits.
Gabriella Salvador picked up the win in relief, working the final 1.1 innings and allowing just one hit.
Mount Saint Mary sees its season come to a close at 20-18.
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