Troy, NY— Sage's softball team hosted the Soaring Eagles of Elmira College on Sunday afternoon in an Empire 8 double header. Elmira posted a 7-3 win in the first game, marking the 400th career win for head coach Rhonda Faunce. The Soaring Eagles took game two, 12-4 and puts Elmira at 9-9 overall and 3-5 in the Empire 8, while Sage drops to 10-20 overall and 3-9 in the league.
Game #1 Elmira 7-3 Sage
Sage jumped out to a 2-0 lead as senior first baseman senior co-captain Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills) had a two run home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Elmira tied the action in the top of the fifth inning and took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Sage tied the game in the bottom half of the sixth as sophomore Emily Agate (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) reached on a walk and pinch runner Kristen Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) stole second. She scored on RBI single to left center by sophomore pitcher Katerina Lagace (Newington, CT/Newington).
Elmiras broke open the game in the top of the seventh as senior infielder Sam Chadbourne (Braintree, MA/Braintree) added a solo home run to center field before senior Maddy Johnson (Rome, PA/Northeast Bradford) had a two RBI single to deep right center and senior outfielder Rachel Katzenberger (High Bridge, NJ/Voorhees) had an RBI single as well giving Elmira a 7-3 lead as the Gators went to the bottom of the seventh. Sage could not manage to cut the deficit as junior pitcher McKenzie Slaven (Horseheads, NY/Thomas A. Edison) went the distance and fanned two of the Sage batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh inning. She earned the complete game win after scattering four hits with three earned runs and striking out eight. She improves to 5-4 on the year.
Sage's Lagace took the loss, dropping to 5-9 after allowing five earned runs off 12 hits.
Game #2 Elmira 12-4 Sage
Elmira's junior Samantha Jenkins (Niagara Falls, ON) belted a solo shot in the first at bat of the game and spotted her team to a 1-0 lead. Elmira took a 4-0 lead after the first inning and led 7-0 as the Gators went to the bottom of the third inning. Silk connected on her first career grand slam to put the Gators on the board and cut Elmira's lead, but it was not enough as Sage could not push any more runs across the plate in the contest.
Sage's rookie pitcher Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) took the loss after 1.2 innings of work with six hits and five earned runs. Rookie pitcher Victoria Alvord (Greenfield Center, NY/Saratoga Central Catholic) worked 5.1 innings in relief with seven earned runs off 13 hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks.
Elmira's sophomore Ally Barr (Pine City, NY) worked the full seven innings with four earned runs off eight hits with three strikeouts and improves to 4-5.
Sage is back in action on Tuesday, April 16 hosting SUNY-Cobleskill in a non-conference doubleheader at Robison Field at 3 p.m.
