BRONX, N.Y. – The Lehman College softball team will be the number five seed in the upcoming 2014 CUNY Athletic Conference Championships, which begin on Thursday, May 1. The Lightning will face #4 John Jay College at 5:00 p.m., in the opening round, held at Brooklyn College.

Also in action on Thursday, at 1:00 p.m., is #3 Hunter College and #6 Baruch College. The winners of both games will join top-seed Staten Island and second seed Brooklyn College in a double-elimination, round-robin format Championship on Friday and Saturday, held on the campus of Queens College.

Lehman and John Jay finished the season with identical 4-8 records in the CUNYAC, but John Jay held the tiebreaker, and assumes the higher seed.

Earlier this season, on April 1, Lehman and John Jay split a doubleheader, with the Bloodhounds winning the first game, 10-6, and the Lightning capturing the second game, 6-4.

Lehman is led by sophomore Kyala Cruz (Brooklyn, N.Y./American Senior), who is in the top five in virtually every offensive category in the conference. Heading in to the post-season, she is batting .412, with 40 base hits, including 17 for extra bases, and has 33 RBI. She has scored 30 times, and has four homeruns, all while serving as the primary catcher.

Also providing offensive firepower is sophomore short stop Jona Kerluku (Ozone Park, N.Y./Construction Trade), who is hitting .371 with 22 RBI, and senior pitcher Sheila San Andres (Woodhaven, N.Y./Construction Trade), who is hitting .351, with 24 RBI.

In the circle, San Andres and junior Meghan Bravo (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) have split the season, with 25 complete games and a team ERA of 7.58.

All fans and spectators who attend the game on Thursday are asked to sit in the outfield bleachers. No one is allowed in the dugouts other than the student-athletes and coaches.

Directions to Brooklyn College can be found here, and the field is on campus, behind the West Quad Building.

The CUNYAC Softball Championship Central area can be found here.