Langhorne, PA----The Brooklyn College softball team cruised to back-to-back non-conference victories at Cairn University on Friday. BC took Game 1 of the doubleheader, 12-4 (5 Innings), before completing the sweep with a 17-6 (5 Innings) in Game 2. Brooklyn improves to 7-17 with the wins while the Highlanders drop to 6-16. Next Up: BC returns to their conference slate at Lehman College tomorrow, April 11, with the doubleheader beginning at 2pm.
Game 1 Recap | Brooklyn- 12, Cairn - 4 (5 Innings)
The Bulldogs wasted no time setting the tone, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. After a leadoff single from Haylee Burleigh and a hit-by-pitch to Lianna Gonzalez, Brooklyn capitalized on Cairn miscues and timely hitting. Katelyn Young and Jazlyn Roberts each drove in runs, while Victoria Elderbaum added a sacrifice fly to give the visitors an early 3-0 advantage.
Brooklyn broke the game open in the second inning, erupting for five runs on five hits and taking advantage of multiple defensive errors. RBI singles from Addy Cook, Young, Roberts, and Elderbaum highlighted the rally as the Bulldogs built an 8-0 cushion.
The Bulldogs continued to apply pressure in the third and fourth innings. Young added another RBI knock in the third, and Brooklyn pushed across an additional run in the fourth to extend the lead to 10-2.
In the fifth inning, Brooklyn tacked on two more runs behind RBI efforts from Elderbaum and Vida Rodriguez, stretching the lead to 12-2.
Cairn responded with a pair of runs in both the third and fifth innings, but it wasn't enough to overcome Brooklyn's early surge.
Kureshma Dhanraj earned the win in the circle, tossing a complete five-inning game. The right-hander allowed four runs (two earned) on 11 hits while inducing key groundouts to limit further damage.
Offensively, the Bulldogs totaled 14 hits for the game. Roberts led the way with a 3-for-4 performance and two RBIs, while Young finished 2-for-4 with a team-high three RBIs and three runs scored. V. Elderbaum drove in three runs, and V. Rodriguez added a pair of hits and an RBI. Olivia Gonzalez also contributed with two hits and two runs scored.
Game 2 Recap | Brooklyn- 17, Cairn- 6 (5 Innings)
Brooklyn found themselves in an early hole after Cairn plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Bulldogs quickly answered in the second, taking advantage of walks, an error, and wild pitches to score four runs and even the game at 4-4.
The momentum fully shifted in the third inning as Brooklyn delivered a massive offensive surge, scoring 13 runs on eight hits while capitalizing on multiple defensive miscues by Cairn. The Bulldogs batted around in the inning, highlighted by a bases-clearing triple from Olivia Gonzalez and RBI hits from Haylee Burleigh, Addy Cook, Victoria Elderbaum, and Julia Corcoran to break the game wide open.
Burleigh led the offensive effort with a 3-for-4 performance, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Olivia Gonzalez finished with two hits and a game-high four RBI, while V. Elderbaum added two hits and two RBI. Corcoran also contributed two hits and an RBI, and Vida Rodriguez crossed the plate three times as Brooklyn's lineup produced from top to bottom.
In the circle, Jessica Bowe earned the win to improve to 4-4 on the season, going the distance while allowing six runs, four earned, on nine hits with three strikeouts. After the rocky first inning, Bowe settled in and limited Cairn to just two runs over the final four frames.
Brooklyn totaled 17 runs on 11 hits and drew seven walks, consistently applying pressure throughout the game. Cairn was held to six runs on nine hits and committed five errors.
