SYDOR’S FOUR HITS HELP SOFTBALL CAP REGULAR SEASON WITH SPLIT AGAINST NYIT; 9-6, 7-3

Box Score vs. NYIT (Game One) - April 26, 2009

Box Score vs. NYIT (Game Two) - April 26, 2009

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Apr. 26, 2009) - Sophomore shortstop/second baseman Alexandra Sydor (Glen Cove, N.Y.) pounded out four hits, while recording three runs and two RBI as Molloy took one of two in a twin bill with New York Institute of Technology. They fell in the opener, 9-6, and triumphed in the nightcap, 7-3, to finish up the regular season. The Lions ended the year with a 20-24 mark overall and a 10-8 mark in conference play.

Game One - NYIT 9, Molloy 6

The Bears (34-21-1, 11-5 ECC) came out quickly in Game One as senior outfielder Lia Lara (Tucson, Ariz.) put one through the right side. Fellow senior outfielder Brilynn Fields (Aurora, Colo.) reached on a one-out single in the infield.  Both runners later advanced on a ground out to bring up junior catcher/ first baseman Lisa Boystak (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), who plated both of them with a two-RBI single to right.

Boystak came around later that inning on the heels of an RBI double off the bat of senior second baseman Lauren Sabia (Tucson, Ariz.). This gave the Lions a 3-0 lead after a half inning of action. NYIT would push its advantage to 5-0 in the top of the third as they got two unearned runs with the big hits coming from junior catcher/third baseman Brooklyn Fields (Aurora, Colo.) and Boystak, both of whom touched home.

The Lions countered in their half of the frame as Sydor led off with a single to center. Two batters later, junior catcher Tiffany D'Alessandro (Wantagh, N.Y.) doubled to put runners on second and third with only one batter retired. Freshman first baseman Carla Campagna (Floral Park, N.Y.) ripped a base hit to right center which gave Sydor her first run scored on the afternoon. Senior shortstop/third baseman Nicole Losito (Howard Beach, N.Y.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center, which brought home  D'Alessandro to bring Molloy within 5-2.

The Bears answered in the very next inning as sophomore pitcher/utility Marissa Brucculeri (Glen Head, N.Y.) led off with a hit up the middle. After two walks loaded the bases, Brilynn Fields singled to left bringing in Brucculeri. Later in the inning, Boystak cleared the bases with a bases loaded double that drove in two. She drove in four runners in the first game. With an 8-2 advantage, NYIT made it 9-2 as Sabia hit a sacrifice fly scored Brooklyn Fields from third.

In Molloy's half of the sixth, the Lions would open with back-to-back singles from freshman third baseman Josette Cavallaro (North Babylon, N.Y.) and fellow freshman infielder/outfielder Meghan Karpinski (Bethpage, N.Y.).  Two batters later, sophomore outfielder Brittney Tartaro (Bayport, N.Y.) reached on infield hit.

With the bags full, Sydor drove in her first run as Cavallaro scored on a fielder's choice. Following an RBI single off the bat of senior second baseman/outfielder Michelle Walsh (Bellerose, N.Y.), D'Alessandro plated two more with a double to center.  The score remained 9-6 as the Bears held on for the win.

In the victory, senior pitcher Nina Cesare (Whitestone, N.Y.) improved to 15-8 on the season with five innings of work. She allowed only five hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking three.  Freshman pitcher/outfielder Allison Ryan (Seaford, N.Y.) pitched a complete game for the Lions. She surrendered seven earned runs on 13 hits while walking three and striking out a lone batter. Her record evened out at 11-11.

Game Two - Molloy 7, NYIT 3

Game two began similarly to the first one as the Bears jumped out to the early lead in their first at-bats of the game. After two bunts got runners on, Brooklyn Fields hit into a fielder's choice bringing in junior outfielder Anna Hernandez (Tucson, Ariz.).

Molloy earned redemption immediately as Sydor singled up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Walsh. Sydor scored her second run of the day on a single from Campagna, which leveled the score at 1-1.

The Lions pushed three runs across the plate in the third as Walsh opened with a double to center. D'Alessandro put one through the left side to score her, and Cavallaro plated Campagna, who earlier reached on a fielder's choice. The third run of the inning came courtesy of an infield single from junior outfielder Erin Rut (East Meadow, N.Y.), which scored Losito.

NYIT came back to tally two runs in the top of the fourth as Sabia singled in Brooklyn Fields, who led off the frame with a base hit. The other run came off a fielding error to bring the Bears within 4-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Molloy added three insurance runs to put the game away for good. After Karpinski doubled and Rut walked, Tartaro scored them both with a triple.  Sydor followed Tartaro's three-base hit with an RBI single to give the Lions a 7-3 lead.

Sophomore pitcher/first baseman Lauren Urbont (Long Beach, N.Y.) went the distance to raise her record to 9-13 as she yielded two earned runs on seven hits and one walk. She even struck out five. Freshman pitcher/first baseman Michelle Rapp (Hammington, N.J.) fell to 14-9 as she tossed two and one third innings allowing three earned runs on six hits.

Head Coach Susan Cassidy-Lyke and the Lions are waiting on where they will be seeded in the upcoming East Coast Conference Tournament.  The brackets will be released on Tuesday following the conclusion of league play.