LEESBURG, Fla. – Katy Rimawi (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) hit her first home run of the season, but Sage ended the day with an 8-3 loss to Wittenberg and an 8-2 loss to Ohio Northern Friday night.
Sage woke up the bats early against Wittenberg (7-1) when Allison Ford (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) hit a one-out triple to right field in the bottom of the first. Ford scored on the next at bat when Rimawi hit a sacrifice fly to right field to put Sage (1-7) up 1-0 at the end of the first.
After two scoreless innings, the Tigers tied the game when Charlee Clark scored on a two-out Lauren Buelow triple to right field. With the score tied at 1-1 in the top of the fifth with two outs, Wittenberg took its first lead of the game when Abby Baker scored an unearned run on a Casey Hobbs double down the left field line. The Tigers tacked on an insurance run before the end of the inning when Hobbs scored on a Rachel Black single to left center field.
Wittenberg kept the bats going in the top of the sixth when Buelow scored on sliding play at the plate to beat the throw and forced out from shortstop to go up 4-1. Baker drew a bases loaded walk the next at bat to bring across Wittenberg's fifth run of the game.
Sage had a change to cut down on the Tiger lead when Jessica Adams (Nassau, NY/Columbia) and Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills) each hit a single to get on base with two outs on the board. However, Wittenberg pitcher Abby Haab forced a fly out and a groundout at first to get out of the inning unscathed.
In the top of the seventh, Missy Lee hit a lead-off double to right center followed by a two-run homer by Clark over the left field fence to go up 7-1. Olivia Hopkins added the Tigers' eighth run when she scored on an Abby Curnutte RBI.
Sage's Alexa Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) was the first to get on base for the Gators in the bottom of the seventh. After stealing her first base of the game, Rimawi hit a two-out shot over the center field fence to bring the Gators back within five, but the effort fell short as the Tigers held on for the win.
Haab (3-0) remains undefeated in play on four strikeout, one earned run effort while Sage's Amy Hart (St. Johnsonville, NY/Little Falls) (0-5) picked up the loss with a season high four strikeouts.
The Gators were led at the plate by Rimawi (2-3, three RBI's, run, home run), Ford (2-4, run, triple) and Adams (2-4, stolen base) while Wittenberg was led by Clark (3-4, two RBI's, two runs, home run), Hobbs (2-4, RBI, run, double), Hopkins (1-5, two runs), Buelow (1-3, RBI, run, triple) and Lee (1-3, run, double).
In the first game with Ohio Northern (9-1), the Bears jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Anna Martin scored on a throwing error. Ohio Northern added a second run in the next inning when Hailee Loughmen crossed the plate on a Miranda Huddle RBI.
Sage had its best scoring opportunity of the game in the top of the first with Aanisah Taylor (Great Barrington, MA/Monument Mountain Regional) but Bears' pitcher Kaitlin Surdej force a pop-up to second base to keep the shutout intact.
In the bottom of the third, a Loughmen double to left center brought in two runs from Gabby Stewart and Jenna Hollar. The following at bat, Ohio Norther's Leanna Henry scored on a Mallory Taylor single to right field to go up 5-0.
The Gators were finally able to end the shutout in the top of the fourth when Rimawi and Adams scored on a Ford single and Tigers' error to cut the lead down to 5-2.
Ohio Northern responded in the bottom of the inning on two unearned runs by Hollar and Leanna Henry to go back up 7-2.
The Gators were able to get Kristen Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) in scoring position in the top f the fifth after being nearly tagged out in a pickle situation, but the freshman was called out after leaving the bag early on a one-out Adams fly out to left field.
In the bottom of the inning, Ohio Northern scored its eighth and final run when Alicia Swierz scored on wild pitch.
Surdej (4-1) was credited with the win on a complete game, four strikeout effort, while Ford (1-2) picked up the loss for Sage with only one earned run against.
The Gators were led on offense by Adams (2-3, run), Ford (1-3, RBI) and Rimawi (1-3, run). The Tigers' Hailee Loughman led the game with home run, double, three RBI's and a run while going 2-2. Ohio Northern also had strong performances by Hollar (2-2, two runs), Huddle (0-2, two RBI's) and Henry (0-3, two runs).
Sage enters its final day of spring break games tomorrow at Hancok Park against RPI and RIT at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. respectively.
