TROY, NY – Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills), Jessica Adams (Nassau, NY/Columbia), Alexa Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) and Destiny Wierzbicki all went yard, but Sage dropped two (6-1, 9-6) to Skidmore Wednesday afternoon in non-conference action.
Wierzbicki hit her first career home run in game one to lead Sage at the plate. Sage's (12-14) Katy Rimawi (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) and Samantha Montague (Glenville, NY/Scotia-Glenville) both had two hits apiece while Adams and Allison Ford (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) both had one.
Skidmore (12-16) was led by Emily Popp with 2 hits, three RBI's and one run. Mary Farrington added two RBI's on one hit while Lizette Roman-Johnston hit two doubles with one RBI.
Amanda Carilli (9-7) was credited with the win for the Thoroughbreds one a complete game effort while Ford (8-6) picked up the loss after seven innings of work.
After a scoreless first inning, Skidmore jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Jill Strileckis scored on a Roman-Johnston sacrifice fly to centerfield. Sage tried to tie the game in the bottom of the third after a fielding error loaded the bases with two outs on the board, Carilli forced a groundout to the shortstop to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth, the Thoroughbreds extended their lead to 2-0 when a Popp single to centerfield brought Karley Fishkin across the plate, just beating out a long throw from Kristen Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville).
After it looked like a foul ball to the leg was going to cut Wierzbicki's at-bat short in the bottom of the sixth, the freshman homered on her next pitch to cut the lead down to 2-1. However, Skidmore extended its lead to 6-1 in the top of the seventh after Popp and Farrington each hit two RBI's single to the gaps in left. In the bottom of the inning, the Gators rallied to put runners on the corners, but a groundout to the shortstop ended the game.
In the second contest, Duncan led Sage at the plate with two RBI's, a double, and a two-run homer. Adams also hit a two-run shot while Alexa Silk added a solo, brick hitting homer of her own. Roman-Johnston came up with three hits, three RBI's and two runs for the Thoroughbreds while Kristina Foley totaled three RBI's on two hits.
Carilli came up with her second win of the day on relief while Amy Hart (St. Johnsville, NY/Little Falls) picked up the loss after a complete game. Hart's nine strikeouts moved her into fifth place in single-season strikeouts at Sage. The junior is two away from passing fourth ranked Rachel Smith's 78 K's from 2012.
Skidmore came out swinging in the field inning, scoring on two back-to-back hits from Popp and Foley to go up 2-0. However, the Gators tied it up 2-2 after Adams hit a two run homer over the left center fence.
The Thoroughbreds reclaimed the lead in the top of the second after a throwing error, a Foley single and a Farrington single brought four runs across the plate to put Skidmore up 6-2. The Gators cut the deficit down to 6-3 when Alexa Silk hit a bases loaded, one out single to left center in the bottom of the second.
Sage added to its total the next inning when Duncan hit a two-run shot, her first of the season, over the leftfield fence to make it a 6-5 ball game.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Skidmore added an insurance run on a Roman-Johnston sacrifice fly to go up 7-5. The Gators were able to load the baes in the bottom of the inning with one out, but Carilli forced a pop-up and a strikeout to hold on to the two run lead.
After Hart retired the side in the top of the sixth, Alexa Silk led off the bottom of the sixth with a crushed home run to centerfield to make it a one run game going into the final inning.
In the top of the seventh, the Thoroughbreds put runners on third and second with two outs before Roman Johnston hit a stand-up, two RBI single to leftfield to extend Skidmore's lead to 9-6. Carilli then finished her job in the bottom of the inning, retiring the side, to hold on for her second win of the day.
Today's 14-inning effort moved some Gators up in the Sage career record book. Adams moved into sixth in runs, passing Paula Weeden while Alexa Silk passed Katie Kovage for the seventh place spot in hits. Rimawi worked her way into the top ten in hits having now passed Maria Pasquarelli.
Sage, who ranks third in the Skyline at 7-3, returns to conference play tomorrow as the Gators take on second place St. Joseph's – Long Island (9-1 Skyline) at Robison Field in double-header action. The first pitch is set to be thrown at 2 p.m.