DICRANIAN'S HEROICS PROPEL RSC SOFTBALL INTO EMPIRE 8 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Alfred, NY –Russell Sage College's softball team came from behind on Friday afternoon to knock off Elmira College in the second day of the Empire 8 tournament, hosted by Alfred University. The Gators beat Elmira, 7-1 and then knocked off top seeded Alfred University, 5-4 in the nightcap for the day. With the pair of wins, the Gators have punched their ticket to the Empire 8 Championship game.
Graduate player Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) threw two complete games, earning two wins and had the game-tying two run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning against Alfred.
Game #4 RSC 7-1 Elmira (Elmira eliminated)
Taylor Dicranian threw a complete game as she allowed just one run, an unearned run in the top of the fourth.
Senior short stop Katelyn Rice (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) was 2-for-3 with a run scored in the contest, while junior left fielder Isabella Vano (Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown) drove in a pair of runs and was 1-for-3 with a double. Senior right fielder Lauren Salmonese (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) was 1-for-2 with a run scored, an RBI a sacrifice fly and a stolen base.
RSC's centerfielder Arianna Papas (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) was 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base as well. Papas has a team-best 87 hits this year and has recorded a hit in all but three of her 38 games started in 2023. Her 154 career hits ranks sixth highest at RSC, while her 10 career runs scored ranks fourth.
Game #5 RSC 5-4 Alfred (Alfred eliminated)
Alfred took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning and the Gators added a single run in the bottom of the half inning. Dicranian had an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth for the Gators.
Down 4-2 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning, with one out, Papas had a single to left field and stretched into second on the throw. Dicranian came to the plate and belted a two RBI blast to right center to tie the game. Rookie third baseman Ciana Santana (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) reached on an error before Rice added a double. Rookie catcher Emma Heartquist (Stuyvesant, NY/Ichabod Crane) had the game-winning hot with a single to score Santana and propel the Gators into the championship game.
For the game, Dicranian was 2-for-3 with three RBI's, a double and a home run. She also worked the complete game, allowing four earned runs off of 12 hits with one strikeout as she improves to 12-9.
Papas was 2-for-4 with a triple, while Rice went 2-for-4 and Heartquist had a pair of RBI's for the Gators as they capitalized on three Saxon errors.
Dicranian now has 146 career hits and ranks No. 8 all-time, while adding 85 RBI's, which is tied for seventh best. Her 8 career home runs is also 12th best. In the circle, she now has 92 career appearances and continues to add to her active records. Her 433.1 innings of work stands first and has 36 career wins which is No. 2. Her 40 complete games checks in fourth, while her 94 career strikeouts is 14th.
Salmonese now has 30 career stolen bases and is now fifth in the category and has only been thrown out three times in 33 attempts.
Papas has a team-best 60 hits this year, while also batting .462 with 15 doubles, five triples and six home runs to go with her 36 RBI's. She boasts an impressive .792 slugging percentage as well. On her career, she has 156 hits (No. 6), 38 doubles (No. 6), 12 triples (No. 2), 14 home runs (No. 5), 107 runs scored (No. 4), and 82 RBI's (No. 10).
Fifth year head coach Erica Li has led the Gators to a 22-17 record on the year after collecting the team's third straight Empire 8 tournament appearance this season.
RSC will be back in action on Saturday in the championship game as they face No. 2 seeded St. John Fisher University at noon on the campus of Alfred University at Harrington Field. SJFU bring a 2-0 record into the match-up as the Gators will need to win two over the Cardinals to collect the league's championship and a spot in the NCAA Division III Championships.
Championship Schedule
Game #6 Championship Game RSC vs. St. John Fisher University, Noon
Game #7 Championship Game#2 (Winner of game 6 vs. Losing Team from Game #6 (if necessary), 2:30 p.m.
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