Clermont, Florida–Sage's softball team opened the 2020 season on Friday with a pair of games in Florida. Loras College posted a 10-2 win over Sage in the opener, and Thiel added a 5-4 win in the second game.
In the opener, Sage fell behind Loras as they scored their first run in the top of the first, adding two runs in the top of the third and three runs in the top of the fourth. The Gators had a rough start on the field having made seven errors which proved costly for them. Loras added another four runs in the top of the fifth to seal the win in five innings as they combed for 12 hits.
For the Gators, senior Kristen Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) added a pair of hits and drove in two runs with a stolen base.
Junior pitcher Katerina Lagace (Newington, CT/Newington) started and threw 3.0 innings with five unearned runs off seven hits with a pair of strikeouts and suffered the loss. Senior captain Alicia Swavely (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) worked an inning with two unearned runs and a pair of hits with a strikeout.
Loras's pitcher KyLeigh Becker threw a complete game in earning the win with four strikeouts and two runs off five Gator hits as she is now 3-2.
Against Thiel, Sage fell behind after they scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning and added a 5-0 lead through three innings. Sage had a big top of the seventh as they scored four runs but could not tie the action.
Junior first baseman Sam Shallcross (Clay, NY/Circero-North Syracuse) drove in a pair of runs and added a 2/4 effort at the plate with a run scpored. Rookie shortstop Katelyn Rice (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) had a double and was 3-4 with a run scored. Junior dp Emily Agate (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) was also 2/4 with two RBI's for Sage in the contest as they combined for 10 hits in the action.
Swavely worked 1.2 innings with two earned runs off four hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts and fell to 0-1. Lagace came in and worked 4.1 innings for Sage with 1 unearned run off six hits with a strikeout.
Thiel's Lindsey Duborwaw threw a complete game and allowed four earned runs off 10 hits with a strikeout and improves to 1-3 on the year.
Sage will be back in action on March 7 taking on Ursinus College at 11:15 a.m. in Florida's at the Hancock Recreational Complex and facing Penn State-Brandywine at 4 p.m.
