Clermont, FL---- The Sage Colleges softball team continued action on Thursday in a rain delayed and effected day. The Gators were slated to play a pair of contests in the morning, but rain in the area forced a change in the schedule. The Gators played just one contest as the met Northwestern College (MN) in a night contest. Northwestern triumphed 3-1 to improve to 4-7 on the year, while the setback puts Sage at 0-5.

Northwestern 3-1 Sage
Team                              1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northwestern (4-7)        2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 5 0
Sage (0-5)                      0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 10 1

Sage Pitching                    IP H R ER BB SO
Kelsey Newberg (0-2)       7  5  3  3   3   9

Northwestern Pitching       IP H R ER BB SO
Ashley Olson (2-2)             7 10 1  1  2    3

The Gators combined for a season-high 10 hits but could not get by the Northwestern Eagles as they dropped the 3-1 decision. The Eagles tacked on two runs in the top of the first inning, but Sage's sophomore pitcher Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain) settled down and racked up a season-best nine strikeouts. She held the Eagles to just five hits, but fell to 0-2 with the loss.

Sage pulled within one run in the bottom of the second inning as sophomore Emily Host (Gorham, NH/Gorham) drove in junior Tiffany Bezio (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) who reached on a single. Host was 2-3 at the plate with a double, while junior Meghan Welcome (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) also tallied a double for the Gators and was 1-3. Freshman Katie Karkoski (Ticonderoga, NY/Ticonderoga) added a double.

The Gators will be in action on Sunday, March 20 when they face Southern Vermont College on the road in a noon doubleheader.