Old Westbury NY - Coming off seven straight wins and looking to extend their win streak to nine on the season. The SUNY Old Westbury softball team split its Skyline Conference doubleheader with St. Joseph's University Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon at the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex, earning a 6-1 victory in game one before dropping game two by a 9-5 close margin.
Game 1: Old Westbury 6, St. Joseph's Brooklyn 1
The Panthers opened the day with a strong all-around performance, using timely hitting, patience at the plate, and a clean defensive effort to secure the 6-1 win.
Old Westbury got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Yelina Arias drew a bases-loaded walk to score Aliya Feerick for the game's first run. The Panthers then broke things open in the third inning. Camila Uribe singled home Jessica Feerick before Katie Knecht reached on a fielder's choice that brought in Ashley Pierce. Later in the inning, Amanda Varela delivered a two-run double up the middle to score Knecht and Madison Muehling and extend the lead to 5-0.
The Panthers added their final run in the fourth inning when Arias singled through the right side, allowing Jessica Feerick to score and push the advantage to 6-0. St. Joseph's Brooklyn broke through with its lone run in the sixth, but Old Westbury closed the door from there.
Olivia DeRose earned the win in the circle after tossing a complete game and allowing just one run on four hits. Arias and Varela each drove in two runs to lead the offense, while Uribe and Knecht each added an RBI. Jessica Feerick scored twice in the victory.
What the Panthers did Right?
Old Westbury did several things well in the opener, showing patience at the plate with nine walks and taking advantage of scoring opportunities throughout the lineup. The Panthers also played a clean defensive game with no errors while limiting St. Joseph's Brooklyn to just four hits.
Game 2: St. Joseph's Brooklyn 9, Old Westbury 5
In game two, the Panthers once again showed fight offensively, but St. Joseph's Brooklyn used an early advantage and timely hitting to claim the nightcap.
St. Joseph's Brooklyn jumped ahead with one run in the first and added two more in the second to take a 3-0 lead. Old Westbury responded in the third inning when Jessica Feerick doubled to left center to score Aliya Feerick. Camila Uribe followed with an RBI single to center field, bringing home Jessica Feerick and cutting the deficit to 3-2.
After the Bears added another run in the third to move in front 4-2, the Panthers answered in the fourth when Jessica Feerick singled through the right side to score Arianna Valle and trim the deficit to 4-3. St. Joseph's Brooklyn then pulled away with three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to build a 9-3 advantage.
Old Westbury continued to battle and scored two more runs late, but could not erase the deficit as the Bears secured the split with the 9-5 win.
Jessica Feerick turned in a strong performance at the plate in game two, going 4-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Aliya Feerick added three hits and scored twice, while Arianna Valle also finished with three hits and two runs scored. Ashley Pierce and Camila Uribe each drove in a run for the Panthers.
As a team, Old Westbury did a good job putting the ball in play and applying pressure offensively, finishing with 13 hits in the contest. The Panthers also showed resilience throughout the game, scoring in the third, fourth, and sixth innings while continuing to battle despite the early deficit.
What's Next?
Old Westbury will return to action on the road for a Skyline Conference doubleheader against Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York on April 12th at an 11:00 AM start time.
