TROY, NY – Junior Amy Hart (St. Johnsville, NY/Little Falls) pitched her first career no-hitter as a Gator Sunday afternoon as Sage swept Purchase College 8-0 and 2-1 in Skyline action.
Sage (6-10, 5-1 Skyline) teamed up with Go4TheGoal to raise awareness for pediatric cancer awareness. Through donations collected at the game and prior online donations, the Gators have raised over $400. All funds will be donated to the Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders in Albany, NY. Donations will be accepted throughout the season. Visit https://donate.go4thegoal.org/fundraiser/913675 for more information.
Hart's no-hitter featured an impressive seven strikeouts while only three batters reached base. Sage's Alexa Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) smashed her second home run of the season while going 1-4 at the plate. Katy Rimawi (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) and Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills) each hit doubles while going 2-4 and 1-4, respectively.
Silk's two-run homer in the bottom of the third put Sage up 2-0 before the Gator's scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 7-0.
In the top of the fifth, Hart placed two runners on base with one out. After it looked like a throwing error was going to end the shutout, right fielder Allison Ford (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) made a heads up throw to second after backing up first base to help Sage get out of the inning unscathed.
In the bottom of the sixth, Rimawi scored on a Duncan double to force and an 8-0 mercy rule and end the game.
In the first game of the double header, Purchase (0-4, 0-2 Skyline) took a one run lead in the top of the first When Lisa Kentris scored on a Kelly Hayes RBI.
After four scoreless innings, Sage tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Destiny Wierzbicki (Albany, NY/Troy) scored on a Hart single to right field.
Both teams left one runner stranded in the sixth inning to ensure an exciting seventh inning. After Ford retired the side in the top of the seventh, Kristen Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) scored the game-winning run on a Samantha Montague (Glenville, NY/Scotia-Glenville) RBI.
Ford (5-4) was credited with the win with five strikeouts while Purchase's Nicole Fortuna (0-1) picked up her first loss of the year with a three strikeout effort.
After today's double-header, the Gators sit in third in the Skyline with a 5-1 record. St. Joseph's – Long Island leads the conference at 4-0 followed by Mount Saint Mary at 2-0. Rounding out the top six are Farmingdale State (4-2), SUNY-Old Westbury (3-5) and Sarah Lawrence (2-6).
Sage is set to travel to SUNY-Cobleskill on Tues., Apr. 4 for a double-header starting at 3:30 p.m.
