Alfred, NY –Russell Sage College's softball team opened the day needing to beat St. John Fisher University twice on Saturday to capture the 2023 Empire 8 Championship. The Gators pulled off the first step of the feat as they beat SJFU, 1-0 in the first game on Saturday, setting the stage for the winner take all championship finals.
SJFU would take the nightcap, 6-1 to record the program's eighth Empire 8 Championship title, improving to 29-11. RSC's banner 2023 season comes to an end as the Gators went 23-18.
Game #6 RSC 1-0 SJFU
Graduate player Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) threw a complete game shutout as she helped the Gators force the if necessary contest, knocking off SJFU, 1-0 for her first shutout win of the year. Dicranian threw a complete game, allowing just three singles with no walks and no strikeouts as she recorded her 13th win of the year.
RSC scored the only run of the game in the top of the second inning as with one out, rookie Amber Banas (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties) walked. She went to second on a wild pitch by SJFU. Sophomore Madalyn Ring (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) had a single to short and advanced to second on a throwing error at second that allowed Banas to score the only run of the game, giving the Gators the 1-0 lead.
The lone extra-base hit was by RSC's centerfielder Arianna Papas (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) as she had a lead-off double to open the game. Senior right fielder Lauren Salmonese (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) added a stolen base as well for her 31st career steal (No. 4).
SJFU's senior Jess Patterson (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia) suffered the loss after she scattered five hits across seven innings of with one walk and seven strikeouts. She dropped to 11-6 on the season.
Game #7 SJFU 6-1 RSC
SJFU tallied three runs in the top of the third inning to take the early 3-0 lead. RSC cut the lead in the bottom of sixth inning as junior pinch hitter Aly Murphy (Gill, MA/Turners Falls) had an RBI to drive in the Gator run as Banas scored.
Banas would finish the game having gone 3-for-3 at the late, while Papas was 3-for-4.
Dicranian, who worked all 32.0 innings of the tournament for the Gators, suffered the loss after allowing seven hits in the contest. She allowed six runs, four of which were earned. She had five complete games in the Empire8 Tournament with a 3-2 record and a 2.62 ERA as well.
Saturday's action marks the end of several Gator softball performers' careers that certainly left a mark on the program.
Dicranian had 146 career hits in 132 career games played. She ranks eighth in games played and hits, while her 400 career at-bats stands eighth as well. She set the school career record with 51 doubles and added eight career home runs (No. 12), 80 runs scored (No. 10)85 RBI's (No. 7) and a .365 career batting average. As impressive as her batting statistics are, her pitching numbers are just as strong.
She closes her career first in appearances with 94, first in innings pitched 447.1, second in wins (37), fourth in complete games (42), and 14th with her 94 career strikeouts. She ranks 14th all-time with a career 4.04 ERA.
Senior short stop Katelyn Rice (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) played in 112 games for the Gators with 111 starts. She added a .332 career354 at-bats (No.12), while connect for 114 hits (No. 14) including 17 doubles (No. 19). She also ranks 15th with her 71 runs scored with 44 RBI's (No. 30).
Senior right fielder Lauren Salmonese (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) played in 107 games for RSC with a .274 career batting average. She had 270 career at-bats (No.27), while connecting for 74 hits (No. 32) and scored 59 runs (No. 23). Her 20 career sacrifices is sixth best, while her 31 career stolen bases is tied for fourth highest at RSC. She was 31-for-34 on the base paths over the course of her career.
Senior second baseman Erika Markowski (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) started 85 of her 98 career games played. She ranks 32nd all-time in games played while adding 15 career sacrifices (No. 13).
RSC's centerfielder Arianna Papas had a team-best 64 hits this year and has recorded a hit in all but three of her 41 games started in 2023. She added 18 multiple-hit games in 2023 with a team-best 17 doubles and 36 RBI's. She caps her time in a Gator uniform having batted a career-best .488 in 100 career games played (No. 31). Her 328 career at-bats is 12th best, while her 160 career hits is sixth highest. She added 40 doubles, which is tied for fifth best, while her 12 career triples is second best. Her 14 career homeruns is fifth best and her 107 career runs scored is fourth highest. She drove in 82 runs (No. 10), drew 31 walks (No. 16), and had 21 stolen bases (No. 12).
Fifth year head coach Erica Li led the Gators to a 23-18 record on the year after collecting the team's third straight Empire 8 tournament appearance this season as well as the program's first appearance in the Empire 8 Championship game.
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