BELLEROSE, N.Y. – The Lehman College softball team returned to its winning ways on Wednesday afternoon, sweeping the host York College Cardinals, 15-2 and 8-5. The Lightning pounded out 26 hits on the afternoon in support of Sheila San Andres, who earned both wins.

In the opener, the game was scoreless through three innings, with neither team posing much of a threat. However, that changed in a hurry, in the Lehman half of the fourth inning.

The first three batters all reached base safely, bringing senior Ashley Falcon (Bronx, N.Y./Lehman H.S.) to the plate. Falcon cleared the bases with a triple to right centerfield, and the Lightning were on the board. Falcon then came home on a single by junior outfielder Ernestine Grant (Brooklyn, N.Y./Manhattan Center), and the score was 4-0. But Lehman was not done in the inning.

With the bases loaded once again, first baseman Ashley Williams (Bronx, N.Y./Bronx Leadership) had one of her three hits in the game, a single to leftfield, where the ball as misplayed, and three runs came across the plate.

In the fifth inning, a Jelsey Cox (Queens Village, N.Y./Campus Magnet) RBI double scored Falcon, increasing the lead to 8-0. In the bottom of the fifth, York responded with a pair of runs, trimming the lead to 8-2. But the Lightning continued to hit the ball hard.

In the top of the sixth inning, again the first three batters all reached base safely, once again leaving the bases loaded for Ashley Falcon. This time, Falcon drew an RBI walk, scoring Ashley Williams. Up next was Ernestine Grant, who singled through the left side, driving home two more runs. A Cynthia Vasquez (Queens, N.Y./CTEA) single scored two more runs, then senior catcher Janet Ortiz (Shady Hills, Fla./River Ridge) sent Vasquez home. The inning ended when Ashley Williams hit a fly ball to left field, which was misplayed. Freshman Chariny Graciano (Jackson Heights, N.Y./Information Technology) came across to score, as Williams got thrown out trying to take second base.

In Game Two, the story was similar, with neither team scoring in the first two innings. In the top of the third, Ortiz doubled home Cox, then scored on a Yatnery Almonte (Bronx, N.Y./Stevenson) single.

In the bottom of the third, York responded with a pair of runs themselves, before Falcon put Lehman up again in the fourth inning, when she doubled, sending San Andres (Woodhaven, N.Y./CTEA) across.

Lehman then took command of the game, with four runs in the fifth, and another in the sixth.

In the game, Cox had hits in all three at bats, scoring all three times. Ortiz had a pair of hits with three RBI, and two runs scored.

On Friday, the Lightning look to continue to pile up the wins, hosting the College of New Rochelle in a doubleheader. The first game will start at 5:00 p.m., on the South Field.