Troy, NY – The Sage Colleges' softball team hosted the Engineers of RPI in a single non-conference game on Wednesday at Robison Field. RPI tallied a 5-2 win to improve to 18-7 on the year, while the loss puts Sage at 15-14.
RPI took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and the Gators answered right back as junior short stop Hillary Faas (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) connected on her fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. She moved into a tie for the No. 2 spot on Sage's career home run list with Kellie Jones as the pair both have 13 homers.
RPI took a 3-1 lead in the top of the next inning as sophomore Jocilyn Rudisill (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) had an RBI double and senior Gillian McCarthy (Worthington, OH/Thomas Worthington) had a RBI single.
McCarthy knocked the Gators' starting pitcher, senior Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain) from the game with her two run home run in the top of the sixth inning to help the Engineers to a 5-2 lead. The home run was the fourth of the season for McCarthy, who finished the day with four RBIs and lead the team with her 24 on the season. She was 4-4 with a run scored, a double and a home run. Rudisill was 3-5 with two runs scored and an RBI for RPI.
RPI's sophomore pitcher Kristina Weltzin (Commerce Town, MI/Walled Lake Northern) collected the complete game win to improve to 11-3 after she scattered two hits and fanned eight batters. Newberg took the loss to fall to 5-7 after five plus innings and allowed four earned runs off 10 hits. She struck out two and leads the Gators with her 57 strikeouts this season, while adding to her active career strikeout mark of 244.
Rookie pitcher Katie Kovage (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) fanned three batters in her two innings of work.
Sage returns to action on April 18 travelling to Union College for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference pair with the Dutchwomen.
