BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – The Bloomfield College and USciences softball teams hooked up for an interstate rivalry Saturday afternoon, splitting a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) twinbill at Clarks Pond South. The Bears won the first game in a close match up, 2-1, before the Devils returned the favor with a break out 10-2 win in five innings in Game Two.
The split moved Bloomfield to 8-11 overall on the season and 2-4 in CACC action. USciences improved to 3-12 overall and 1-1 in league play.
Junior pitcher
Kirsten Wilson (Beaver Falls, P.A.) gave up six hits in the opener, allowing one run (earned) and three walks while striking out eight. Wilson ran her record to 6-3 with the victory while senior
Stephanie Miller (Temecula, Calif.) had a tough outing in game two. The left handed hurler lasted one full inning and came out of the game in the 2nd after giving up eight runs on seven hits. Junior transfer,
Gabby Citriniti (Corning, N.Y.) came on in relief surrendered two runs on six hits across the next four innings while striking out two.
Game one's action got underway in the bottom half of the third when Citriniti singled thru the middle to lead off the inning. Two sacrifice bunts later, Citriniti scored from third on a base hit single to left by senior
Lauren Bueno (Hacienda Heights, Calif.) and the Bears were up 1-0.
That lead wouldn't hold long as the Devils answered quickly in the top of the fourth with a two-out single to center that scored the equalizer.
Bloomfield seized control of the tight ball game in the six with two multi-base hits to score a run. Junior
Faith Apolskis (Soquel, Calif.) blasted a double to right field and then senior
Veronica Cobos (Torrance, Calif.) belted an RBI triple down the right field line to put the home team up for good.
Wilson retired USciences in 1-2-3 order in the seventh, including striking out the last two batters swinging to seal the game one decision. Citriniti finished 2-for-3 with a run while the Bears newest member of the 100 Hit Club,
Aubrey Orr (Gallup, N.M.) went 1-for-2 in the first half of the double header.
The Devils jumped ahead early in game two, turning two hits and two errors into four points on the scoreboard in the top of the first. USciences added three more in the second before Miller left the game without retiring a batter in the inning. One more run scored and the Devils held an 8-0 advantage heading into the bottom of the second.
Cobos led off the second with a single to right as the Bears desperately searched for an answer to the Devils offensive onslaught.
Annette Daw (Gallup, N.M.) stepped to the plate with two outs and singled up the middle followed by Orr with a single down the left field line and suddenly Bloomfield had the bases loaded. Bueno stepped up and ripped a base hit up the middle scoring Cobos as the Bears prepped for a big response but Citriniti struck out swinging ending the Bloomfield threat with the deficit at 8-1.
The Devils rallied with two runs in the third to go up 10-1 and put the Bears in jeopardy of an early game. Cobos would come around to score a run in the home half of the inning off a Wilson single to right but it was not enough as the mercy rule took effect in the 5th inning after Bloomfield failed to push across another run.
The Bears will hibernate a couple days before continuing their 10-game home stand when the Eagles of Post University come to Clarks Pond South. Wednesday, Mar 23 afternoon game times are slated for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. in Bloomfield, N.J.
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