Old Westbury Softball extends win streak to six with sweep of Baruch

OLD WESTBURY, NY --- (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) SUNY Old Westbury softball (6-4) compiled 6-2 and 9-0 non-conference wins Tuesday at home versus the Baruch Bearcats (3-16) at Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.

Game 1: Old Westbury 6, Baruch 2
Baruch went up early with a two-run homer by Nicole Bellini (1-for-3) off Panther starter Nicole DeCola (3-2, 7 IP, 6H, 2 R, BB 6 K) in the first inning.

Amanda Fucci (3-for-3, 2 RBI, BB) answered for the Panthers in the bottom of the first with a two-out RBI single to score Samantha Scharff (1-for-3, 2 R, RBI) to slice the deficit in half.

Old Westbury tied the game in the third with DeCola working a bases loaded walk to score Scharff to
make it a 2-2 game off Baruch starter Cassandra Lagana (2-9, 6 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 5 ER, BB, K).

The Panthers used a two-out rally to score two runs in the fourth to grab a 4-2 lead.  Katie Rizzo (3-for-4, 2 RBI, R) singled home Otilia Bernal followed by Scharff's sacrifice that scored Delana Murray (2-for-4, 2 R).

Old Westbury tacked on two more runs in the sixth with Rizzo's RBI double and a run-scoring single by Fucci to settle the scoring.

Game 2: Old Westbury 9, Baruch 0 (5 Inn.)
Fucci (3-2) fanned seven batters to toss her first-career shutout by scattering one hit over five innings of work to record the series clinching win.

Scharff (2-for-3, 3 RBI) broke the scoring ice in the opening frame with a two-run double to score Murray (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI) and Rizzo (1-for-2, 2 R, BB) for the 2-0 lead.

Gabriella Valdes' (1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, BB) second-inning triple made it a three-run game before Murray followed with a RBI single.  Scharff then lifted a two-run double to extend the lead to six.

Baruch's fielding error by second baseman Jessica Piccolino resulted in two unearned Panther runs off Bearcat starter Julian Gross (1-6) in the third.

The Bearcats collected their lone hit with a two-out single off Fucci in the fourth.

Fucci led off the fourth with a double and scored three batters later on a RBI double by Kristan Taylor (1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, BB) for the 9-0 final. 

FARMINGDALE STATE RAMS UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: Old Westbury remains at home Thursday (Apr. 7) for a Skyline Conference doubleheader against the Farmingdale State Rams.  First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.