Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
It took five hours, 52 minutes, 56 runs, 45 hits, 43 walks, 27 errors, and 15 innings, but the Lehman College Lightning's (5-18 Overall, 1-9 CUNYAC) CUNY conference doubleheader with the York College Cardinals at the South Field in the Bronx finally ended at 10:52 p.m., with the Cardinals picking up two victories - by scores of 14-8 and 18-16 - in the most unlikely of fashions.
York College primarily won game one of the doubleheader because of a bizarre top of the sixth inning which saw the Cardinals plate seven unearned runs against Lightning reliever Racine Brown after Brown had retired the first two batters of the inning. The Cardinals would send 11 batters to the plate in the frame, taking advantage of two Lehman errors and subsequently putting together a big inning. After five and a half, the Cardinals – who once trailed the game by a score of 3-1 – held a 14-7 lead. York would allow just one run over the final two frames to go on for the six-run victory.
Getting the start and the win in game one for York College was Thessaly Bellizario as she tossed a complete game, allowing eight runs (six earned) on nine hits while walking nine and striking out six. Natalie Martinez started for Lehman and she received a no-decision, hurling four innings and allowing seven runs (four earned) on four hits while walking 11 and striking out one. Brown, the Lightning's hard-luck loser, allowed seven unearned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out four.
Offensively for the Cardinals in the game one victory, it was Joviette Frederick finishing the game 1-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, two runs batted in, and two walks. Renita Raghubir doubled, singled, and scored two runs, and Bellizario singled, walked, and drove in three. For Lehman – Natalie Martinez doubled and finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a run driven in, and a walk, and Bethany Rodriguez singled twice, finished 2-for-4, scored two runs, drove in a run, and walked.
In game two of the evening, the Cardinals blew leads of 8-0, 14-13, and 16-15 before finally putting the game away in the top of the eighth inning, plating a pair of runs in the extra frame to win the contest. The game should have never gone to an extra inning, though, as a base-running miscue would cost the Lightning the game in the bottom of the seventh inning.
With the game knotted at 16 apiece in the bottom of the seventh, the Lightning had runners on first and third with one out, and Vania Cadet up. Cadet launched a fly ball off of Cardinal pitcher Thessaly Bellizario, and the center fielder Chiquita Greene camped under the ball, but Lehman's Simone Byrd was already motoring home. As Greene squeezed the ball for out number two, Byrd had already raced across home plate. She then tried to retreat back to the base, but the ball was thrown back to third in time for the out as the Lightning let a golden opportunity to win the game slip away. In the eighth inning, York would score two runs when Brittany Patalano would double home Geneva Faulk and eventually score when Kelsey Ash would throw the ball away attempting to get Patalano at third base. The Lightning would have an opportunity to tie or win the game in the bottom of the eighth, as Lehman loaded the bases with two out, but Jennifer Mena struck out swinging to end a wild evening.
The Cardinals plated 10 runs over the first three innings of play, and led 10-3 after two and a half innings. After the Lightning scored five runs to cut their deficit to 10-8 after three, York College scored three times in the fourth to up its lead back to 13-8. Lehman College refused to quit, however, scoring five times in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 13 all. York would score a run to take the lead back in the top of the fifth, but the Lightning would answer with two in the bottom of the fifth to grab a 15-14 lead. The see-saw game continued in the top of the sixth when York would plate a pair to re-take the lead at 16-15, and Lehman would tally a single run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 16 apiece, and that is how the game would enter the seventh.
Aillen Abad got the start for the Cardinals and she received a no-decision, hurling five innings and allowing 15 runs (five earned) on seven hits while walking seven and striking out three. Bellizario – who got the victory in the first game – pitched three brilliant innings of relief – allowing just one unearned run on two hits while walking two and striking out two. Racine Brown took the loss for Lehman College as she tossed a complete game, hurling eight innings and allowing nine earned runs.
Offensively for the Cardinals in game two, it was Patalano doubling twice, finishing 4-for-6 and scoring six runs while driving in a pair. She also walked and stole a base. Bellizario chipped in with three singles, a run scored, and two runs batted in, and Greene reached base five times, singling twice, walking three times, scoring twice, and driving in three. Byrd singled three times for the Lightning, as she finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two driven in, and Kelsey Ash continued her stellar season as she doubled twice, finished 2-for-6, and drove in a run.
The Lightning will return to action on Saturday afternoon as Lehman travels to Brooklyn, NY to battle the Bears of St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn in a non-conference doubleheader. The first game is scheduled for 1:00pm.
