Gators fall to Alfred in Empire 8 action

Gators fall to Alfred in Empire 8 action

Queensbury, NY – Sage's softball team hosted the Saxons of Alfred University on Friday in a pair of Empire 8 contests that were held at the Adirondack Sports Dome. The Saxons collected the pair of wins beating Sage, 9-2 in both games. Alfred improves to 18-10 overall and 6-4 in the league, while Sage falls to 6-9 overall and 0-4 in the league.

Game # 1  Alfred 9-2 Sage

Alfred took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the third inning and were paced by the play of senior Haley Powers (Newark, DE/St. Georges Tech) as she was 4-5 with three runs scored. She had a double, a triple and an RBI as the Saxons tallied 15 hits in the game. Rookie Trisha Whaley (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) added a 3-4 effort at the plate with a run scored and three RBI's for the Saxons.

Sage's senior Alexa Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) broke up the perfect game Alfred's sophomore Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) when she belted a triple to mark the first Gator hit of the game. Graduate player Katy Rimawi (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) drove in Silk to put the Gators on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Silk went 1-3 at the plate with a run scored and a triple, while Rimawi was 1/3 with two RBI's and a double.

Wilcox finished the complete game showing to collect the win after yielding four hits with two earned runs, while fanning 14 batters. She improves to 9-5. Sage's rookie Katerina Lagace (Newington, CT/Newington) took the loss despite fanning eight batters with nine earned runs off 15 hits. She drops to 2-3.

Game # 2 Alfred 9-2 Sage

Alfred put up three runs in the top of the first inning and added another three in the top of the second inning. Powers had another impressive showing in the nightcap as she was 2/3 with three runs scored and an RBI.  Whaley added a three run home run in the second inning and finished with a 2/4 effort with four RBI's to lead the Saxons. Sophomore Jillian Murray (Eden, NY/Eden) added a double and a home run and was 2/5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Sage's sophomore Amanda Kiriakos (Yonkers, NY/Saunders Trade & Technical) was 1 for 4 for the Gators with a run scored and a double. Sophomore Destiny Wierzbicki (Albany, NY/Troy) was 1 for 3 with a triple and a run scored for the Gators.

Sage's senior pitcher Amy Hart (St. Johnsville, NY/Little Falls) suffered the loss despite fanning 10 batters. She gave up 15 hits with nine earned runs and drops to 4-6 on the year. Alfred's senior Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) picked up the complete game win as she struck out five and allowed just one earned run off seven hits. Schaeffer is now 9-5 on the year.

After Friday, Hart is now 11th in career innings pitched (208.0), while ranking fourth with 207 career strikeouts. She surpassed the 200 career plateau and is now just one of four players in program history to achieve the feat.

Rimawi now has 106 career RBI's and is one of three Sage players with 100 or more RBIs and she is 3rd all-time. She is also fifth in career runs scored with 98, while also ranking in a tie for third with her 37 career doubles as she is now tied with Kristen Beikirch. Alexa Silk is now third with her 174 career hits, while ranking fourth with her 9 career triples. She is second with 62 career stolen bases, just four shy of breaking the mark set by Kristen Beikirch (65).

The Gators will be in action next on April 21 hosting Houghton College at Robison Field in a doubleheader at 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday.