Mahwah, NJ The Ramapo College softball team opened the 2024 season with a split against visiting John Jay College (1-1 overall) this afternoon. John Jay came back to defeat Ramapo (1-1 overall) in game one, 6-5, while the Roadrunners won game two, 5-0, in five innings.
 
Game 1
Ramapo scored four runs in the first three innings of action to take a 4-0 lead. Mahogany Wheeler led off with a solo homerun in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead. Wheeler then drove in two RBI in the third as Katie Rygiel and Alexis Corra came around to score. Later in the inning, Avery Bartolomeo drove in Wheeler with a sac fly to center field, 4-0. The Bloodhounds added one in the fourth before tying the game in the sixth on a three-run homerun from Jailene Santiago, 4-4. In the top of the seventh, John Jay plated two runs to take a 6-4 lead. Ramapo added one run in the bottom of the seventh before the Bloodhounds got out of the jam to secure a 6-5 win.
 
Marissa DiPaolo started in the circle for the Roadrunners with seven strikeouts and two walks while she scattered five hits and let up just one run in 5.2 innings of work. Brooke Knight worked one complete inning as she struck out two, walked four and let up two hits and three runs while Sara Cappetti (0-1) suffered the loss in relief as she surrendered two runs on one hit.
 
Wheeler led Ramapo at the plate in game one finishing 3-3 with three RBI and two runs scored while Corra finished 2-4 with two runs scored.
 
Game 2
In game two, Kassy Stefanski started in the circle as she struck out eight and let up just one hit in five complete innings of work. Ramapo scored one run in the second when Ysabellah Otero laced a double to center field before moving to third on a wild pitch. Lia Milsom put down a bunt single which allowed Otero to score, 1-0. In the bottom fourth with one out, Otero launched a solo home run to left field for a 2-0 lead. With two outs, Milsom beat out a bunt single before an infield error by the Bloodhounds put runners at first and second. Milsom and Rygiel recorded a double steal before Corra drove a hard hit single through the left side of the infield to plate both runners, 5-0.
 
Stefanski and the Ramapo defense would send the Bloodhounds in order in the top of the fifth. Bartolomeo caught a pop fly in foul territory before Stefanski induced back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. The game was then called due to darkness. Corra, Wheeler, Otero and Milson each collected two hits in the game for the Roadrunners.
 
Ramapo returns to action on Saturday, March 16th when they travel to THE Spring Games in Clermont, FL as they take on Knox College at 1:30 PM and Wellesley College at 3:45 PM.
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