Troy, NY – The Sage Colleges' softball team hosted the Trailblazers of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Wednesday afternoon in the team's 2013 home opener. The host Gators snapped a nine-game losing skid with a convincing 9-1 win in the first game in five innings and then tallied a 2-1 win in the night cap. The Gators stand at 3-9 overall, while MCLA drops to 4-10.
In the first game, Sage's bats came alive with 11 hits with three doubles. Graduate students Rachel Smith (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) and Tiffany Bezio (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) each doubled, while freshman Kiersten Gray (Glenville, NY/Niskayuna) also doubled.
MCLA scored the first run of the afternoon with an RBI sacrifice fly by freshman Shelbi Clary (Pittsfield, MA/Taconic) in what turned out to be the Trailbalzers' lobe run in the action.
The Gators connected for four runs in the bottom half of the inning and never looked back, tacking on another in the second inning and three in the third. Sage added a final run in the fourth inning en route to the 9-1 win in five innings.
Offensively for Sage, Smith was 2-3 with a run scored, while Bezio was 3-3 with two runs scored. Senior outfielder, Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain) drove in two runs and was 1-3 with two runs scored.
Smith picked up the win in the circle after striking out one with six walks. She improves to 2-5 on the year. MCLA's sophomore Amanda Meczywor (Adams, MA/Hoosac Valley) took the loss after three innings of work with three earned runs. She was replaced by sophomore Rayelle Pierson (Pittsfield, MA/St. Joe's Central), who worked one inning with no earned runs.
In the nightcap, Sage was held in check by rookie pitcher Rachel Quackenbush (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls) as she fanned 13 batters. MCLA took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as senior outfielder Amanda Hobbs (Haverhill, MA/Whittier Tech) doubled and sophomore Amanda Meczywor (Adams, MA/Hoosac Valley) doubled her in with her shot to left field.
Quackenbush kept Sage in check with no hits until the fourth inning when Newberg led off with a bunt single to third and a fielder's choice allowed Hillary Faas (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) to reach before she stole second base. Sophomore Kirsten Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) reached on an error and advanced to second, while Faas was able to score and tie the action at 1-1. Sage would take the lead for good as sophomore Karlie Williams (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) reached on an additional MCLA error and moved to second. With Beikirch on third and Williams at second, an illegal pitch was called and Beikirch came home to break the tie and give Sage a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the seventh, MCLA had a chance with two outs as rookie outfielder Nichaela DiNicola (Lanesboro, MA/Mt. Greylock Regional) singled to centerfield. Hobbs reached on a bunt single before, Meczywor struck out looking to end the Trailblazers' rally.
For the Gators, senior pitcher Newberg picked up the win after fanning six and yielding just one run off six hits. Quackenbush drops to 0-1 on the year after fanning 13 in six innings of work with no earned runs.
Sage is back in action on Friday, March 29 travelling to SUNY-Cobleskill for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheaders.
