Troy, NY – The Sage Colleges' softball team hosted the Panthers of Purchase College in a Skyline Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at the Robison Field. The Gators posted an 8-0 win in five innings and a 9-1 victory in five innings. The victories put Sage at 13-13 overall and 4-4 in the league, while Purchase drops to 3-16 overall and 2-9 in Skyline.
In the first game, Sage's sophomore second baseman Kristen Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) connected for her third home run of the season with a solo shot in the bottom of the second inning helping Sage to a 5-0 lead. For the game, Beikirch was 3-4 with two runs scored, a stolen base and an RBI.
Sophomore Karlie Williams (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) added a double and finished with two RBIs, while rookie Kiersten Gray (Glenville, NY/Niskayuna) also had a double and two RBI's in the action.
Senior pitcher Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain) picked up the complete game shutout win after allowing just two hits in her five innings of work with eight strikeouts. Newberg picked up her ninth complete game on the season, while improving to 4-6 with a team-best 48 strikeouts on the season. She continues to add to her Sage career mark with her 235 strikeouts, while drawing ever closer to another Gator mark as now has 24 career wins and is making a run at the all-time victory mark that stands at 27 and was set by Kim Fredenburgh.
In the nightcap, Newberg drove in three runs, while going 2-2 at the plate with a double. Rookie Courtney Laughlin (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) added a triple and drove in a pair of runs as Sage pushed seven runs across the plate in the bottom of the first inning.
In the circle for Sage, graduate performer, Rachel Smith (Valatia, NY/Ichabod Crane) picked up the complete game victory after allowing one earned run off three hits with four strikeouts. Smith, who also drove in a run and was 1-3 at the plate, improves to 4-6 for Sage this season and has fanned 34 batters in her 10 appearances in the circle.
The Gators are back in action on Sunday, April 14 hosting St. Joseph's College (LI) at 1 p.m. in a Skyline Conference doubleheader at Robison Field.
