Bellerose, NY (April 24, 2016) – Hello playoffs!

The Purchase College softball team punched its ticket to the postseason Sunday in a Skyline Conference doubleheader with St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn.

And the Panthers certainly had a flair of the dramatic in reaching the conference tournament for the first time since 2008. Purchase rallied in both ends of the twin bill, besting the Lady Bears 10-7 in eight innings in game one and then coming-from-behind 10-9 in eight innings in game two.

Under first-year head coach Ryan Doty, the Panthers have now secured one of the top six playoff berths, collecting the sixth seed in the victory while improving to 19-9, including 7-9 in league play. Purchase will now face the College of Mount Saint Vincent Wednesday in the conference quarterfinals on the road. SJC-BKLYN falls to 9-16 overall and 4-14 in the league.  

In the opener, the Lady Bears grabbed a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Run scoring singles from Maria Gentile and Destiny Marino highlighted the five-hit frame.

Purchase got one back in the second with a sacrifice fly, but St. Joseph's countered with two more in the bottom half to extend their lead. Nicole Quintana brought one in with an RBI double and Gentile delivered another run scoring single to cap the inning.

The Lady Bears tacked on one in the third inning and one more in the fourth to move up 7-2 after four innings, but Purchase stormed back with a four-run fifth to draw within one.

ToniAnn Licata (SR/Mount Kisco, NY) highlighted the outburst with a two-RBI double and ensuing base knock by Samantha Alonzo (SR/Wappingers Falls, NY) plated two more, but she was caught at second trying to stretch the single.

Trailing 7-6 and three outs from defeat, the Panthers fought to draw even in the seventh. With two outs and a runner on first, Kylia Maddox-Langley (FR/Mount Vernon, NY) delivered the game-tying double with a flare to center that fell safely in between three SJC defenders.

St. Joseph's offense was held scoreless in the bottom half to force extra innings and Purchase's offense rode its momentum into the eighth, when a Lady Bears defensive miscue helped open up a three-run inning with all the runs coming home unearned.

In game two, the Lady Bears struck early with another three-run first. Samantha Rossi got SJC on the board with a ground out RBI and Gentile and Kristen Ferrigno followed it up with two-out singles.

Purchase countered in the next two innings with one in the second and four in the third to claim a 5-3 lead. Kelly Hayes (FR/Staten Island, NY) and Lisa Kentris (FR/Latham, NY) highlighted the span with back-to-back home runs in the third inning, a three-run and solo shot, respectively.

In the top of the fifth, Purchase extended its lead off a pair of miscues that allowed two more unearned runs to cross.

Trailing 7-3, the Lady Bears' offense rallied for three in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to one. Singles from Marino and Stephanie Rancel followed by an Erica Eddy hit by pitch set up a Samantha Simon bases loaded walk and Theresa Armano capped the rally with a two-run single to right with two outs.

Facing defeat in the seventh, the Lady Bears rallied again to draw even. A walk and two singles loaded them up for Rancel, who connected for the game-tying single. With the bases still loaded and nobody out, St. Joseph's would be unable to push across the winning run. Reliever Kentris recorded three consecutive outs, two of them strikeouts, to force extras.

The Panthers reclaimed the advantage in the eighth, pushing three across on three hits with Hayes delivering the go-ahead single.

St. Joseph's threatened again in the bottom half. Armano led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then scored on Samantha Rossi's single, who advanced to third on a throwing error. Gentile's ensuing single brought Rossi home to cut the deficit to 10-9, but Kentris fought out of another jam, retiring three straight to secure the sweep.

For the Panthers, Briana Leon (JR/Clen Cove, NY) (5-for-8, RBI, 4 R) led the visitors with five hits, including a game-high four in game one.

Rookies Hayes (4-for-10, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R) and Kentris (2-for-10, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R) each recorded home runs, with Hayes finishing with a team-high four RBI, all in game two.

Fellow newcomer, Maddox-Langley (4.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 SO) picked up the victory in game one after spinning four scoreless innings in relief and Kentris (2.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 SO) earned the win in the capper, fighting out of two jams to finish off the sweep.

Purchase returns to action Monday in Saturday's reschedule with St. Joseph's College-LI on Senior Day.

-SJC-BKLYN Sports Information Contributed to this report