LEESBURG, Fla. – The Gator softball team dropped a pair of games Wednesday morning against John Carroll 8-1 and Heidelberg 12-0 (five innings).
Against John Carroll (4-2), Kristen Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) hit her first career home run over the centerfield fence to start Sage off with a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
In the bottom of the second, Lindsay McKnight scored on an Angie Zappitelli single through the left side to tie the game. The Blue Streaks took their first lead of the game when Kayla Navratti scored on a Jennie Broski double to right center. Broski then scored on a Quinn Sobieszcanski single followed by a Sobieszcanski run off a Hannah Mizener double to right center to go up 4-1.
In the top of the third, Sage's (1-5) Aanisah Taylor (Great Barrington, MA/Monument Mountain Regional) hit a bloop single to the pitcher with two outs on the board. Sobieszcanski made a heads up play during the next at bat by catching a fly ball and then throwing it to first to complete the game's first double play.
John Carroll added to their lead in the bottom of the third when McKnight scored on Broski's second hit of the game. During the next at bat, Nikki Geringer hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home Elizabeth Fraas. The Blue Streaks extended their lead to 8-1 on Sobieszcanski's single to left field.
In the top of the fourth, Silk drew a leadoff walk. The next play, John Carroll's Olivia Schweiger caught the Gators in double play during a hit-and-run for a quick two outs. The Blue Streaks got out of the inning unscathed when Geringer caught a foul ball behind the plate to end the inning.
After a scoreless fourth inning for John Carroll, Sage's Allison Ford (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) hit a two-out single to second, but Kelly Geringer recorded her first strikeout to get out of the inning.
The Gators' best chance to score came in the sixth inning. Alexa Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) hit a one-out double to right center. The junior was then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kristen Silk, but Kelly Geringer forced a pop-up to second to get out of the inning.
In the top of the seventh and the game on the line, Sage's Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills) hit a one-out single to centerfield, but Kelly Geringer forced two back-to-back pop-ups to end the game.
Ford (1-1) picked up her first loss of the year with two strikeouts while Kelly Geringer was credited with the win on a complete game, two strikeout, five hit day.
In the early morning game with Heidelberg (5-2), the 'Berg's high power offense got off to a quick start in the top of the first. With the bases loaded and one out on the board, Kaitlyn Moore laid down a bunt to bring in Renee Lovett and put the Student Princes up by one. Joanna Catalano followed Kaitlyn Moore with a single to leftfield to score Morgan Daniels. A hit by pitch and a walk brought in Casey Moore and Kaitlyn Moore to put Heidelberg up 4-0. The next at bat, Bailey Smith hit Catalano home one fielder's choice to tack on a fifth run. The Student Prince's added on two additional runs on a fielding error to end the first and take a 7-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Casey Moore scored her second run on of the game on a wild pitch to put Heidelberg up 8-0 going into the third.
The Student Prince's added their ninth run in the top of the third when Taylor Hicks scored on a pass ball with two outs on the board. Heidelberg then loaded the bases on a walk, but an Amy Hart (St. Johnsonville, NY/Little Falls) strikeout kept the 'Berg from adding to their total.
In the bottom of the third, Sage's (1-4) Taylor broke up Kaitlyn Moore's no-hitter with a single to third base. The junior's hit was then followed by an Alexa Silk single to centerfield. With runners on first and second, Kaitlyn Moore got out of her toughest pinch of the game with her fifth strikeout of the game.
Heidelberg tacked on a tenth run in the top of the fourth when Catalano scored on a Sage fielding error. In the bottom of the inning, Katy Rimawi (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) led off with a single to centerfield, but a relay from Hicks in center to Becca Radabaugh at second caught Rimawi trying to extend her hit into a double. The following at bat, Jessica Adams (Nassau, NY/Columbia) hit a single for Sage's fourth hit of the game. Kaitlyn Moore stepped up for the Student Princes and struck out the next batter for the second out of the inning. On the strikeout, Adams successfully stole second, but the senior was tagged out by Lovett after stepping off the bag.
In the top of the fifth, Kaitlyn Moore hit Heidelberg's first extra base of the game with a two-run bomb over the centerfield fence to put the Student Princes up 12-0. In the bottom of the inning, the Gators need to rally five runs to extend the game into the sixth inning. Samantha Montague (Glenville, NY/Scotia-Glenville) drew Kaitlyn Moore's first walk of the game, but the freshman was left stranded.
Kaitlyn Moore (2-2) was credited with the win on an impressive complete game effort with nine strikeouts. Hart (0-4) picked up the loss for Sage with three K's on the day.
Leading the game at the plate were 'Berg's Kaitlyn Moore (2-3, three RBI's, two runs, home run), Casey Moore (0-0, three runs), Catalano (1-3, two runs, RBI) and Lovett (2-4, run).
After a day off tomorrow, Sage returns to play Friday night against Ohio Northern and Wittenberg at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively at the Sleepy Hollow Athletic Complex.