Kissimmee, FL – The Sage Colleges' softball team was in action on Friday facing a pair of opponents on the final night of the team's Spring Training Trip. The Gators played St. Norbert's College and Defiance College on Friday, but suffered a pair of close setbacks.
Against St. Norbert's, the Gators exploded for 12 hits, but could not seem to push any runs across the plate and fell, 4-0. In the nightcap, Sage fell 8-6 to Defiance College.
Score by Innings R H E
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The Sage Colleges... 000 000 0 - 0 12 3
St. Norbert's ...... 010 012 0 - 4 7 2
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For the Gators, graduate performer Rachel Smith (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) added a double and a pair of singles, while senior Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain) also had two singles.
Also having a strong performance at the plate was graduate student Tiffany Bezio (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) as she had a pair of hits. Also adding two hits each were freshmen Kiersten Gray (Glenville, NY/Niskayuna) and Lauren Cooney (Wyantskill, NY/Troy).
Newberg threw the complete game and yielded two earned runs, while allowing seven hits. She struck out five and walked four in falling to 0-3.
SNC's senior pitcher Shannen Schmidt collected the complete game shutout win as she scattered 12 hits, but her team's defense kept the Gators in check. She had three strikeouts in collecting he win and is now 3-3.
GAME # 2
Score by Innings R H E
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Defiance ...... 412 001 0 - 8 8 6
The Sage Colleges... 000 401 1 - 6 8 3
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Smith made the start for the Gators in the circle, but went just one third of an innings with four earned runs off three hits with three walks. Rookie Katie Kovage (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) worked 6.2 innings in relief with a pair of earned runs off five hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
At the plate, sophomore Kirsten Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) was 3 for 4, while outfielder Tiffany Bezio (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) had a pair of singles. Freshman Jennifer Onwe (Tarrytown, NY/Sleepy Hollow) had a pair of RBIs and a double for the Gators.
Defiance's freshman pitcher Katie Patchin worked five innings with four runs off four Gator hits and had just two strikeouts. Allie Rowland worked a pair of innings in relief with a pair of runs off four hits with no strikeouts or walks.
The Gators are back in action on Saturday, March 23 hosting NYU-Poly in a Skyline Conference doubleheader at Robison Field (Troy, NY). The first 25 fans in attendance as the games will receive a free Sage athletics decal.
