Softball Drops Non-Conference Doubleheader at Intrastate Foe WestConn Wednesday

DANBURY, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) softball team fell during both games of a non-conference doubleheader at intrastate foe WestConn Wednesday night at the Westside Softball Field in Danbury, Conn. WestConn narrowly won the opening game, 5-4, before narrowly completing the sweep with a 9-4 victory in the finale. With the results, the Blue Jays dropped to 17-14 overall, while the Wolves improved to 20-14 on the season.

GAME ONE: WESTCONN 5, USJ 4

HOW IT HAPPENED

• USJ struck first in the opening frame, as senior Alyssa Roberts (Naugatuck, Conn.) recorded a two-out RBI double, establishing a quick 1-0 lead.
• The Wolves fires back in the bottom of the first, tying the game at 1-1 before scoring three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-1 advantage.
• The Blue Jays pulled one run back in the top of the third, as sophomore infielder Jennifer Antonowicz (Wolcott, Conn.) reached via an error that enabled junior outfielder Avianna Ibrahim (Colchester, Conn.) to cross home and close the gap to 4-2.
• USJ continued to fight back, as Antownoicz scored after senior infielder Alex Silver (Vernon, Conn.) recorded an RBI, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
• Ibrahim would tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the sixth after launching a solo homerun, which was the first round tripper for the Blue Jays this season.
• However, WestConn would score one run in the bottom of the sixth, before holding the USJ offense in the top of the seventh, escaping with the win, 5-4.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ibrahim paced the team with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, scoring a team-high two runs.
• Ibrahim's homerun was her first in a USJ uniform, and second of her career.
• Roberts drew a team-best two walks.
• Ibrahim also stole the lone base for USJ.
• Junior Paige Fekete (Watertown, Conn.) got the start inside the circle, picking up the loss (4-5) after allowing five runs, two of which were earned, off four hits while striking out two batters in 5.0 innings of work.
• Sophomore Analise Escarraman (Windham, Conn.) threw the remaining 1.0 inning in relief not allowing a single hit.

GAME TWO: WESTCONN 9, USJ 4

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Blue Jays grabbed the lead in the top of the first, as Roberts hit an RBI single to establish a 1-0 lead.
• Freshman catcher Sadie Girgasky (Bethlehem, Conn.) tacked on a run after notching an RBI single in the top of the second, increasing the gap to 2-0.
• WestConn closed the deficit to one though, scoring in the bottom of the third to cut the gap to 2-1.
• Antonowicz reestablished a two-run lead for the Blue Jays in the top of the fifth, launching an RBI triple to extend the edge to 3-1.
• In the next at-bat, junior outfielder Kaitlyn Ouellette (Wolcott, Conn.) laid down a perfect bunt that enabled Antonowicz to beat the throw at home and extend the USJ edge to 4-1.
• However, the Wolves answered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame, before adding six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 9-4 lead.
• USJ was not able to answer in the top of the seventh, as WestConn completed the sweep with a 9-4 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Senior shortstop Jenna Zup (Berlin, Conn.) and Antonowicz led the team with 2-for-4 outings at the plate.
• Ouellette stole the lone base in game two for USJ.
• Roberts got the start in the circle in game two, picking up the loss (7-5) after allowing seven runs, five of which were earned, off 10 hits in 5.1 innings of work.
• Ouellette threw the reamining 0.2 innings in relief, allowing two runs, one of which was unearned, off one hit.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays return to conference play on Saturday, April 26, as the team hosts Johnson & Wales University for a doubleheader. First pitch against the Wildcats at the USJ Softball Field in West Hartford, Conn., is set for noon.

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