Apr. 21, 2011

Box Score Gm. 1
Box Score Gm. 2

The Lehman softball team solidified its hold on a place in the CUNYAC Championships, sweeping a crucial conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon from host York College by the scores of 23-9 and 21-5 to improve 4-16 on the season.

Lehman now sits at 4-8 in the conference and holds an important tiebreaker with York, who fell to 2-6 in CUNYAC.

Despite getting on the board with a run in the top of the first inning, the game got off to an inauspicious beginning for the Lightning as the Cardinals pounced on starter Genesis Batista for seven first innings runs.

Undaunted, Lehman bounced back in the second, pounding out six hits and taking advantage of two Cardinals errors to score 10 runs. Sophomore Vania Cadet drove in three in the inning with a pair of base hits, while Natalie Martinez (two-run single), Batista (RBI groundout), Toni Angel Puya (RBI single), and Lakeisha Gordon (two-run double) each contributed.

Leading 11-7, Lehman watched as the Cardinals narrowed the gap with single runs in the second and third innings, before the Lightning eventually broke the game open with 12 runs over the final two frames aided by five York errors.

When all was said and done, every Lightning starter had registered at least one hit with Cadet and Batista each picking up three, while Nicole Pinero and Gordon added to their season averages with two hits a piece.

The Lightning continued to swing the lumber in the second game, highlighted by a huge game at the plate by Pinero, who went 3-for-5 and drove in seven runs.

Pinero was right in the middle of the Lightning's first inning pounding of York starter Aileen Abad, knocking a two-run double to help set the tone. Pinero added a two-run single as part of Lehman's four run second and capped her stellar performance with a three-run triple in the fourth.

Overall, the Lightning scored at least one run in each inning of the five inning contest.

In addition to Pinero, Lehman received multiple hit games from Luz Garcia (2-for-3, 4 RBIs, 2 R), Puya (3-for-4, 2 RBIs, 3 R), and Batista (2-for-5, RBI, R).

Martinez picked up her second win of the season, allowing five runs (four earned) over her five innings of work.

Lehman will look to keep its bats hot on Friday afternoon when it welcomes St. Joseph's College (BK)  to the Bronx for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.