Houghton, NY – The Sage Colleges softball team produced 13 runs and 21 hits in an Empire 8 softball sweep at Houghton College Saturday. The Gators won the opener, 7-3 and took the nightcap, 6-5 to improve to 7-11 on the season and 2-2 in the Empire 8. The Highlanders fell to 7-13 and are also 2-2 in the league.
Game #1 Sage 7, Houghton 3
Junior outfielder Amanda Kiriakos (Yonkers, NY/Saunders Trade & Technical) was 4 for 4 at the plate and senior first baseman Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills) was 2 for 2 with two runs driven in to lead Sage to the victory.
Houghton scored three times in the bottom of the second for a 3-0 lead. But the Gators took over with a five run fifth inning. The inning featured RBI singles by Duncan and Kiriakos and an RBI double by sophomore infielder Emily Agate (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey). The Gators added insurance in the seventh with a two-run single by freshman infielder Ashlee Billert (Bennington, VT/Mount Anthony Union).
Junior pitcher Alicia Swavely (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) earned her fourth win, scattering nine hits while allowing two earned runs and not walking a batter. McKenzie Marti drove in all three runs for the Highlanders while Mariah Rogers had three of Elmira's nine hits. Both teams finished with nine hits on the day.
Game #2 Sage 6, Houghton 5
The Gators scored two runs in the top of the sixth and held on for a 6-5 win in the nightcap, and the sweep for the day. Agate had two hits and three RBIs and senior designated player Lindsey Decker (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa) drove in two runs to highlight the win. Graduate outfielder Lisa Kentris (Latham, NY/Shaker) and freshman infielder Alex Henninger (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) also had two hits each. Sophomore pitcher Katerina Lagace (Newington, CT/Newington) got the victory in relief allowing just two hits with no runs while striking out five. Caitlyn Cybart had two of the seven hits for the hosts, while Sage had 12 hits for the day.
Sage took a 1-0 lead in the first with an Agate RBI single, but the Highlanders scored three in the bottom of the frame. Decker drove in two to tie it with a single in the second and junior outfielder Kristen Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) gave the Gators a 4-3 lead with an RBI single. Houghton had two RBI singles in the bottom of the third to regain the lead (5-4). But in the sixth, back came the Gators, this time for good. Agate drove in two with a single to produce the eventual 6-5 final.
Sage hosts Union College Wednesday, April 3 at 3 p.m. for a pair of non-league games at Robison Field in Troy. Houghton is at Empire 8 rival Stevens on Friday, April 5 for two games beginning at 3 p.m.
