Apr. 27, 2011

Box Score Gm. 1
Box Score Gm. 2

The Lehman softball team closed out the home portion of its regular season schedule on a high note on two fronts Wednesday afternoon.

Not only did the Lightning take both ends of its doubleheader with visiting Sarah Lawrence College, downing the Gryphons 10-6 in the first game before following it up with a 14-6 win in the second game, but the team also left its three departing seniors, Fanny Souffront, Lakeisha Gordon, and Luz Garcia with a positive memory of their last game in the Bronx.

Prior to the start of the day's action, all three were recognized by the Lehman Athletics Department for their contributions to the team, which spanned two years for Souffront, three years for Gordon and four years for Garcia.

Once the action began, however, the Gryphons did their best to try and spoil the day's good feelings as they built a 6-5 lead through five and a half innings of play.

But in Lehman's half of the sixth, the Lightning capitalized on a bout of wildness by Sarah Lawrence pitcher Christa Sherburne-Law, who walked the first six batters to face her to eventually force home the tying and go-ahead runs. Freshman Jelsey Cox then delivered the big blow, a booming ground-rule double to centerfield that plated Vania Cadet and Nicole Pinero. The Lightning tacked on a final unearned run before the close of the inning to take a 10-6 lead, which they wouldn't relinquish in grabbing the first game.

The second game saw two of the day's honorees, Gordon and Souffront play prominent roles in the outcome – Gordon as the starting pitcher and Souffront the starting first baseman – in addition to a feel good moment from an unexpected source.

Unlike the first game, the Lightning built a hefty early lead, scoring seven runs over the first two frames with Pinero contributing a two-run double in the second.

In the bottom of the fourth with Lehman ahead 7-3, the Lightning received a spark from freshman Mayra Guablocho, who was substituted into the game to pinch hit for rightfielder Andrea Vazquez. Despite having only recorded two at bats on the season up to that point, Guablocho promptly lined a solid base hit into centerfield, the first of her college career. On the next play, her heads-up baserunning led to a Lightning run when she aggressively scampered home from second on a throwing error by third baseman Lauren Stein.

Sarah Lawrence would not go quietly, though, posting three runs in the top of the fifth to claw back to within 8-6 before Lehman put the game away with six runs over the next two innings to force the game to be called after six.

For her efforts on the mound, Gordon was credited with the win for the Lightning, her second this season, as she allowed three earned runs in six innings of work. Lehman's eight hit attack was paced by multi-hit games from Pinero (2-for-3, 2 RBI, two runs scored) and Natalie Martinez (2-for-4, RBI), while Cadet scored four runs, getting on base via a hit and three walks. Souffront collected a hit and scored two runs in her final home game.

Lehman will travel to New Jersey on Saturday to wrap up its regular season against the College of Saint Elizabeth before starting the CUNYAC Championships next week.