Troy, NY – Sage's softball team hosted the Highlanders of Houghton College on Saturday afternoon in the team's first and only home game of the 2018 season. The contest also marked Senior Day for the 2018 Gators. Sage posted a 4-3 win in the first game and needed 10 innings, but also collected a 2-1 win over Houghton in the nightcap. With the wins, Sage is now 8-9 on the season and 2-4 in the Empire 8. Houghton stands at 8-18 overall and 1-9 in the league.
Game # 1 Sage 4-3 Houghton
Sage took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as rookie Emily Agate (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) had an RBI sacrifice fly to drive in sophomore catcher Mikayla Culnan (West Sand Lake, NY/Emma Willard School), who had singled to reach base.
Houghton tied the game up in the top of the second inning as junior short stop Taylor Sile (Hilton, NY/Hilton) had a solo home run.
Sage tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth as senior Alexa Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) had a two RBI single to give Sage a 3-1 lead through six innings. Houghton added a pair in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh inning, graduate player Katy Rimawi (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) singled to center field and Agate added a single to center before with one out, junior Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills) had the game winning hit as she singled to deep center field and gave Sage their first Empire 8 win.
Culnan finished the game with a 3-4 effort at the plate with a run scored, while Alexa Silk was also 3-4 with two RBI's.
Sage's rookie Katerina Lagace (Newington, CT/Newington) earned the complete game win as she fanned seven batters with three walks and seven hits. She allowed only three earned runs and improves to 3-3. Houghton's senior pitcher Tanya Hatton (Greene, NY/Afton) took the loss after allowing four earned runs off 14 hits with three strikeouts. She drops to 0-5.
Game # 2 Sage 2-1 Houghton (10 innings)
Houghton struck first as rookie Hannah Cybart (Fredonia, NY/Fredonia) walked and made the most of her at bat as she was able to score on a wild pitch giving the Highlander a 1-0 lead that held until the bottom of the fourth inning.
In the fourth, rookie infielder Ashley Madigan (Valley Falls, NY/Hoosic Valley) singled. She would score on an RBI double by Duncan to tie the game.
The two teams stayed tied until the bottom of the 10th inning when Duncan was placed on second in the international tie-breaker rules and advanced to third when sophomore Destiny Wierzbicki (Albany, NY/Troy) singled to right field. With one out, Alexa Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) singled to drive in Duncan and give the Gators the 2-1 extra-inning win.
Alexa Silk was 2-5 with an RBI, while Duncan was 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Madigan was 1-4 with a run scored for the Gators as they managed to get eight hits in the nightcap.
Sage's senior pitcher Amy Hart (St. Johnsville, NY/Little Falls) picked up a complete game win as she struck out six batters in 10 innings of work. She allowed just one run off two hits.
After Saturday, Hart is now 11th in career innings pitched (218.0), while ranking fourth with 213 career strikeouts. She is one of four players in program history to achieve the feat of 200 or more strikeouts. She is now seventh with her 33 complete games and ninth with her 16 career wins.
Rimawi is now fourth in career games played (134), while also standing 5th in career at-bats (417), seventh in hits (142), third in doubles (37), fifth in runs scored (99), while now jumping to second with her 106 career RBI's.
Alexa Silk is now third with her 179 career hits, while ranking fourth with her 9 career triples, fifth with 36 career doubles and fourth in at-bats (421), as well as second in career home runs with 17. 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 24 travelling to St. John Fisher College for a 3 p.m. Empire 8 match-up.