By Anthony Bosco
Christ the King alum and Ozone Park native Stephanie Santoro tossed a no-hitter Sunday for the Queens College Lady Knights softball team in non-league action against Bloomfield College in a 16-0 blowout win on the Flushing campus.
The victory was the first of two wins for Queens over Bloomfield, taking the second 3-0 behind pitcher Victoria Forsythe, who picked up the complete-game win.
Dominant pitching by Santoro is a quality to which Queens coach Brian DeMasters has become accustomed. After going 0-1 on a pre-season trip to Florida, the junior has rebounded with 10 straight wins and four shutouts.
“Pitching-wise she’s been phenomenal,” DeMasters said. “She’s not an overpowering pitcher. What’s key with her is she throws her change-up with any count. She’s just not afraid to throw it. What happens is she constantly has hitters guessing and off-balance. Although they may make good contact, they are all off stride. She never gets hit hard.”
Santoro, who struck out seven in her most recent win, is 8-0 in conference play, including a shutout victory over NYCAC-leading C.W. Post, and has a 0.72 ERA in league games.
The former Royals’ standout is batting .242 on the season, .272 in conference play.
“She’s disappointed in that, but I’m not totally,” DeMasters said of Santoro’s bat. “She puts the ball in play.”
Santoro had two RBIs in the nightcap of a double-dip against Mercy College Friday, a two-game sweep by the Lady Knights. Forsythe got the win in the second game, allowing just one hit through five and fanning four as Queens romped 8-0. Forsythe also pitched the opener, allowing just one run on four hits in a 9-1 five-inning Queens win.
Cheryl Cosenzo was 5-for-6 in the two games with 6 RBIs.
Earlier in the week Queens defeated Bridgeport, 7-1, as Santoro got the win and had a two-RBI triple. Crystal Wilson was 3-for-4 in the game.
Queens, now 24-12 overall and 18-4 in league play, stands in second place behind C.W. Post with only two games remaining in the regular season. The NYCAC playoffs begin Friday.
Queens College 11-10, Mercy College 6-6. The Knights swept a doubleheader Friday, pounding out 33 hits and 21 runs in two games. In the opener, Michael Morris picked up the win, as Michael Regina, Robert Behrman, Victor Pantopoulos, Vincent Garelick and Sean Camerer all drove in runs.
Louis Walsh got the win in the nightcap, going the distance. Carlos Cruz and Behrman had 3 RBIs apiece, and Michael Medea was 3-for-5 with a run scored and 1 RBI. Queens improved to 10-13 overall and 9-9 in conference play.
Queens College 19, Dominican College 14. Garelick had 6 RBIs, Cruz added four, Pantopoulos three and Richard Rivera two as the Knights snuck past Dominican in a 32-hit slugfest April 24. Luke Fitzgibbon was tagged for nine runs, but he got the win. Queens lost to Molloy College the day before, 7-4.
St. John’s 8, Manhattan 0. Blair Belloni was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and one runs scored, Linda Reyes was 2-for-3 for St. John’s (26-24) in the nightcap of a doubleheader Sunday at Red Storm Field.
St. John’s 7, Manhattan 0. Allina Sainz was 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and three RBIs, Jillian Sandoval was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Jessica Cameron was 2-for-3 with one RBI while Meghan Allman and Melanie Lehman combined to toss a one-hitter in the opener of the twin bill.
Notre Dame 4, St. John’s 0. The St. John’s men’s tennis team fell to Notre Dame in the opening round match of the Big East tournament at the University of Miami Friday. Freshman Morgan Bauer dropped his No. 4 singles match to Brian Farrell, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the closest match of the day for the Red Storm, which fell to 10-8.
Reach Sports Editor Anthony Bosco by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 1-718-229-0300, Ext. 130.
