BOX SCORE (Baruch 3, Hunter 2)

BOX SCORE (Staten Island 3, Baruch 0)

The softball team finished in second place at the 2011 CUNYAC Double-Elimination Championship Tournament played on Saturday at the College of Staten Island Softball Complex.

The Bearcats defeated rival Hunter College, 3-2, with an exciting last inning rally to eliminate the Hawks, but lost in the next game to decide the title to Staten Island by the score of 3-0.

The Bearcats finish their season with a 17-23 overall record, while Staten Island improves to 26-11 and earn a berth to the Division III NCAA Tournament.

In the first game, rival Hunter scored two runs in their first at-bat and kept the Baruch bats quiet to lead 2-0 throughout most of the morning’s elimination game. However, the Bearcats rallied in their final at-bat with three runs to pull out the dramatic 3-2 victory to stay alive in the championship tournament.

Julia Giustiniani started the rally with a one out walk and Michele Runko singled to centerfield to get runners on first and second base. Melanie Pellegrino walked and that brought Elizabeth Santos to the plate with the bases loaded and one out.

Santos smacked a two RBI single to centerfield to tie the game at 2-2. Ashley Brandow then capped off the exciting rally with an infield RBI single to score Pellegrino with the winning run as the entire team ran on the field to celebrate the stunning victory after being shutout for the first six innings.

In the second game, the Bearcats tried to defeat Staten Island to force a seventh game of the double-elimination tournament, but the Dolphins scored once in the first inning and twice in the fourth inning to record the 3-0 shutout victory.

The Bearcats attempted another last inning rally with the bases loaded and two outs, but could not score to finish in second place.

DOUBLE-ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT RESULTS
Friday, May 6 at College of Staten Island
Game 1 - #1 Staten Island defeated #4 Brooklyn, 10-2 (5 inn.)
Game 2 - #2 Baruch defeated #3 Hunter, 4-2
Game 3 - #3 Hunter defeated #4 Brooklyn, 3-2 (Brooklyn is eliminated)
Game 4 - #1 Staten Island defeated #2 Baruch, 3-2

Saturday, May 7 at College of Staten Island
Game 5 - #2 Baruch defeated #3 Hunter, 3-2 (Hunter is eliminated)
Game 6 - #1 Staten Island defeated #2 Baruch, 3-0 (Baruch is eliminated)