Troy, NY – The Sage Colleges' softball team hosted the Jays of NYU-Poly on Saturday in a pair of Skyline Conference games. The Jays took the first game 3-1 and posted a 9-0 win in five innings in the nightcap. NYU-Poly improves to 8-4 overall and 2-0 in the Skyline Conference. Sage drops to 5-11 overall and 0-2 in the league.
In the first game, NYU-Poly struck in the team's first at bats and made the most of the inning as with one out, junior Sadie Hoeschen (Huntington Beach, CA/Sage Hill) singles up the middle and went to second on a passed ball. Senior Corinne Fitzgibbons (Brooklyn, NY/Fontbonne Hall Academy) doubled down the right line to drive in Hoeschen. After a single by junior Christi Bruin (Auburn, WA/Thomas Jefferson) junior Megan Moran (Reno, NV/Wooster) singled to drive in Fitzgibbons. Senior Natalia Stockinger (Putnam Valley, NY/Putnam Valley) capped the inning with her RBI single and helped spot the Jays to a 3-0 lead.
Sage got one run back in the bottom of the second when sophomore Kirsten Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) led off with a single. She went to second on a passed ball and third on another passed ball. She was driven in by freshman Kiersten Gray (Glenville, NY/Niskayuna) who singled.
The Gators threatened in the bottom of the fifth inning after getting bases loaded, but could not drive in any of the base runners. In the bottom of the sixth, Sage got their first base runner when sophomore Karlie Williams (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) singles. Gray followed with a single to right center, but Sage was unable to make anything happen in the inning. In the bottom of the seventh with one out, Rachel Smith reached on an error but NYU-Poly check the Gators in check to record the Skyline win, 3-1.
NYU-Poly's senior pitcher Miranda Merilli (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) picked up the complete game win as she struck out 10 en route to the win. She improves to 4-3. Sage's senior Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain) suffered the loss after yielding three earned runs off nine hits with six strikeouts. She drops to 1-5.
Offensively, Gary paced the Gators with her 2-3 performance at the plate, while NYU-Poly's Moran was 2-3 with an RBI. Hoeschen was 2-4.
In the second game, NYU-Poly struck first with a pair of runs in the first inning after Hoeschen reached on an error with one out. Fitzgibbons doubled and Hoeschen advanced to third. Bruin singled to drive in two runs and give the Jays a 2-0 lead.
In the second inning, the Jays pushed seven runs across the plate as they tallied five hits in the innings and were led by the grand slam by Hoeschen.
For the game, NYU-Poly's Hoeschen drove in four runs after connecting for her first home run of the season. Bruin also drove in two runs after a 2-3 effort at the plate, while Stockinger drove in two runs.
Sage's Beikirch was 1-2 in the action for the Gators and picked up her team-leading seventh stolen base of the season.
Sage's pitcher Rachel Smith (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) took the loss after 1.2 innings of work with nine earned runs off six hits. She drops to 3-6. Freshman Katie Kovage (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) worked 3.1 innings in relief and struck out three with just one NYU-Poly hit allowed.
NYU's Poly's sophomore Lyndsey Rathburn (San Clemente, CA/Capistrano Valley) picked up the complete game shutout win to improve to 3-0. She allowed just one hit, while strikeout out three and walking one.
The Gators are back in action on Wednesday, April 3 hosting Skidmore College in a non-conference doubleheader at Robison Field (Troy, NY) at 3:30 p.m.
