Stevens collects a pair of wins over Sage in Empire 8 softball action

Stevens collects a pair of wins over Sage in Empire 8 softball action

Weehawken, NJ – Sage's softball team finally was able to take to the field after 31 days since they last played in South Carolina on their spring training trip. On Sunday Sage travelled to New Jersey to take on the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology for their 2018 Empire 8 opener. Sage fell in the first game 5-2 to Stevens and dropped the nightcap, 9-0. The Gators are now 4-6 overall and 0-2 in the league, while Stevens improves 9-7 overall and 6-0 in the conference.

Game # 1  Stevens 5-2 Sage

Sage travelled to NJ for what should have been a home pair for the Gators and batted as the home team in the games on Sunday.

Stevens collected the first run of the day in the top of the third when Samantha Schattin doubled to centerfield and moved to third on a single by Farryl Groder. Corrine Loncar had an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to put the Ducks up 1-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, with two outs, sophomore Amanda Kiriakos (Yonkers, NY/Saunders Trade & Technical) singled to reach base before graduate player Katy Rimawi (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) doubled down the right field line and drove in Kiriakos. Rookie Emily Agate (Franklin Square, NH/H. Frank Carey) had an RBI single to right field to drive in Rimawai and also know the starting pitcher for the Ducks, Jessica Masur from the game.

Stevens tied the action in the top of the sixth inning as pinch hitter Amanda Delorme led off with a double and after advancing to third on a sac, would score on a wild pitch to tie the action at 2-2.

Stevens made the most of the top half of the seventh as they combined for three runs off four hits as Madison Gemma came up big with a two RBI double down the line and Delorme doubled to center to also drive in Gemma and give Stevens the 5-2 lead.

Sage was unable to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning, falling to Stevens, 5-2.

For the game, Rimawi was 2-4 with a double and an RBI, while Agate was 1-3 with an RBI as well for the Gators.

From the circle, rookie Katerina Lagace (Newington, CT/Newington) scattered two hits in nine hits in her 5.1 innings of work with two earned runs, a walk and a strikeout. Senior pitcher Amy Hart (St. Johnsville, NY/Little Falls) came in and worked 1.2 innings for the Gators and suffered the loss after yielding four hits with three earned runs. She drops to 1-4 on the year.

Game # 2 Stevens 9-0 Sage

In the second game, Stevens came out hot and tacked on one run in their first at-bats, followed by a four run outburst in the top of the second inning. The Ducks added three more in the top of the fourth and their final run in the top of the fifth to collect the 9-0 victory.

Sage's bats were held in check as Amanda Kiriakos and junior Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills) were only able to get a hit off the Stevens' pitching in the match-up.

Steven's Marissa Cappello fanned nine in earning the complete game shutout win as she improves to 4-1 on the year. Hart took the loss after five innings of work with five earned runs off 11 hits with four strikeouts. She drops to 1-5 on the season.

The Gators will be in action next on April 10 at Skidmore College for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday in Saratoga Springs with a 3:30 p.m. start.