Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 OLD WESTBURY, NY (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) - The SUNY College at Old Westbury and the NYU-Poly Fighting Jays got together to play an NFCA Strikeout Cancer Skyline Conference doubleheader on Senior Day Saturday from the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.  NYU-Poly slipped past Old Westbury with a 2-1 victory in the opener and held off the Panthers' late charge to take the finale, 5-4.  Old Westbury (15-15) concludes conference play with a 5-9 record to miss out on the tournament for the first time since the 2008 season.  NYU-Poly (22-9) solidified the top-seed in the upcoming conference tournament with a 10-2 mark in Skyline Conference play. 

Before game one, both teams participated in the annual NFCA Strikeout Cancer Walk around Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.  Prior to first pitch, Old Westbury honored their 2013 Senior Class of Alyssa Clancy (2010-13), Alex Heaney (2011-13), Nicole Petrucci (2010-13) and Jessica Spero (2010-13)with the annual Senior Day Ceremony for their dedication to Old Westbury Athletics. 

Game One: NYU-Poly 2, Old Westbury 1
In game one of the doubleheader, Jennifer Jean hit an RBI bunt double to score Jacqui Alvarado to break the scoring ice in the second inning.  However, Old Westbury was unable to capitalize from there as NYU-Poly starter Miranda Merilli fanned the next three to strand Alyssa Clancy and Jean to weather the storm. 

NYU-Poly rallied to pull ahead with two runs in the fourth.  Sadie Hoeschen singled to start the inning and later scored on a two base throwing error by third baseman Alvarado.  Corine Fitzgibbons followed with a run scoring single to push across Megan Moran for the game-winning run.  Old Westbury hit 0-for-10 to close out the game following Alex Heaney's two-out single in the fourth. 

Alvarado (1-3, R), Jean (1-3, RBI 2B) and Heaney (1-3) accounted for Old Westbury's three hits while Hoeschen (2-3, R) and Fitzgibbons (2-3, RBI) each registered multi-hit performances as NYU-Poly held a 5-3 hitting edge. 

Clancy (15-13) suffered the unlucky loss after striking out five while allowing two unearned runs on five hits.  Merilli (13-5) snagged NYU-Poly's win by fanning 11 and giving up one run on three hits and one walk. 

Game Two: NYU-Poly 5, Old Westbury 4
In the finale, Old Westbury busted out 12 hits to register its 10th double-digit hit total of the season.  However, the eight Panthers stranded on base proved to be costly in the end. 

Down 5-0 in the fifth, Old Westbury mounted its comeback with a Jessica Spero double followed by a single by Jessica Colucci.  Samantha Howley then advanced both runners on a sacrifice fly to push across Spero for Old Westbury's first run.  Nicole Petrucci then delivered a run scoring single to slice to deficit to three runs. 

Old Westbury registered three single in the sixth, but a controversial one out call ruled runner Alvarado out on a single by Jean, which took the wind out of the Panthers' sail.  Reliever Merilli induced a groundout by Spero to escape out of the jam.

NYU-Poly threatened to tack on insurance runs in the sixth with a pair of singles, but Clancy retired her next two batters to strand two on base. 

In the seventh, Howley clubbed a one-out double before Petrucci's double scored Howley to make it a 5-3 game.  Petrucci then scored as Heaney singled for Old Westbury's third straight hit.  Two batters later, Alvarado singled and Clancy walked to load up the bases for Jean, who was jammed into flying out to second baseman Briana Feist to end the game.

Petrucci (2-4, 2 RBI, R, 2B), Corrine Protasiewicz (2-4), Alvarado (2-4) and Jean (2-4) contributed multiple hits for Old Westbury.  Moran (2-3, 2 R), Fitzgibbons (2-2, RBI, 2 R, 2B) and Natalia Stockinger (2-3, R) also added multi-hit games to NYU-Poly's bottom line.  

Clancy (15-14) was tagged with Old Westbury's loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on nine hits.  NYU-Poly starter Lyndsey Rathburn (8-1) worked five innings to pick up the win and Merilli registered her second save of the season by recorded the final six outs.      

STATEN ISLAND DOLPHINS UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: Old Westbury returns to the diamond on Sunday (April 21) at 1 p.m. when they travel to clash with the Staten Island Dolphins in a non-conference doubleheader from CSI Softball Complex.   

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