BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Defending CUNY Athletic Conference softball champion John Jay, the No. 2 seed, finds itself in the drivers' seat with a pair of wins on day one of the 2026 CUNYAC Softball Championship at Brooklyn College.
No. 4 Hunter opened the tournament with a 9-6 win over top-seeded Baruch, before John Jay pulled away late for a 10-1, six-inning win against third-seeded Brooklyn. The Bulldogs stayed alive with a 9-1, five inning win over Baruch, before the Bloodhounds topped Hunter in the winners' bracket final 9-5.
Hunter 9, Baruch 6
Hunter scored three runs in the top of the first inning, two in the fourth and four in the fifth. The Bearcats would score in each of the final four innings and pulled within 9-6 in the seventh.
Giordana Bowen finished with three hits for the Hawks, with Bowen, Grace Basil and Elizabeth Thompson each driving in two runs. Hunter starter Abigail Bidinger went the distance, allowing eight hits and striking out four in her complete game effort. Ava Lavery led Baruch with three hits.
John Jay 10, Brooklyn 1 (6)
The defending champs scored three runs over the first two innings, then exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game. The Bulldogs' lone run came on a wild pitch in the fourth.
Sidney Bankston and Alyssa Cadolino each drove in three runs for the Bloodhounds, while Lindsay Ogden allowed five hits and one run in six innings of work, with seven strikeouts. Vida Rodriguez led Brooklyn with a pair of hits.
Brooklyn 9, Baruch 1 (5)
After taking a 2-1 lead after one, Brooklyn exploded for seven runs in the top of the fourth, using four hits, three runs and a hit batter to go up 9-1.
Addy Cook and Victoria Elderbaum each drove in a pair of runs. Jessica Bowe allowed just two hits over five innings to earn the win in the circle for the Bulldogs. Baruch's lone run came on a Jules Wychunas groundout in the first.
John Jay 9 Hunter 5
In the nightcap, John Jay banged out 17 hits and used a five-run third to take control in the winners' bracket final.
Kendal Bryant, Kelly Fajardo and Cadolino each had three hits for the Bloodhounds, with Bryant and Cadolino each driving in a pair. Natalie Graham picked up the win in the circle, allowing five runs. Four different players had two hits apiece for the Hawks, which finished with 12 hits of their own.
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