RSC SOFTBALL SPLITS WITH #12 RANKED SJFC
Pittsford, NY–Russell Sage College's softball team travelled to St. John Fisher College for a pair of Empire 8 games with the No. 12 ranked Cardinals. Despite travelling to SJFC, the Gators were the home team in the games as the location was switched due to wet field conditions. In the first game, SJFC posted an 11-6 win over the Gators, snapping the team's win streak and handing RSC their first loss of the season. The Gators rebounded with an extra-inning 9-8 win over the Cardinals, marking the first win for RSC Head Coach Erica Li over a nationally ranked program. RSC is now 5-1 overall and 5-1 in the E8, while SJFC is now 12-2 and 7-1 in the E8.
Game #1 SJFC 11-6 Sage
The Gators combined for 12 hits in the game but were unable to get past the Cardinals. At the plate junior Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) went 4-4 with two runs scored. Senior infielder Emily Agate (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) was ¾ with four RBI's after she added a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Agate's home run came on the heels of a solo shot by sophomore Katelyn Rice (Albany, NY/Colonie Central).
Dicranian suffered the loss after working 5.0 innings with nine earned runs off 11 hits. She drops to 3-1 on the year. Sophomore Makayla Lindsey (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield) also worked two innings with three hits and a strikeout.
SJFC's Emily Trotman (6-1) worked a complete game and struck out five as she gave up six earned runs off 12 hits.
Game # 2 RSC 9-8 SJFC (9 innings)
In a see-saw battle, the Gators managed to rally and come up with the 9-8 win in the bottom of the ninth inning. To start the inning, Lindsey was hit by a pitch to reach base. She moved to second a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Erika Markowski (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa). The next Gator batter struck out for the second out before sophomore Lauren Salmonese (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) singled to first to drive in Lindsey for the game-winning run.
For the game, junior outfielder Arianna Papas (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) was 4 for 5 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI's, while Lindsey was 2/3 with two runs scored, four RBI's and a three run home run in the third inning. The game saw three lead changes before it became tied 8-8 through seven innings. Markowski had a pair of sacrifice hits for the Gators as they combined for 10 hits in the game.
Lindsey worked six innings for the Gators with three earned runs off five hits with four walks. Dicranian worked three inning and allowed just one earned run off three hits as she picked up the victory to move to 4-1.
SJFC's Jess Patterson took the loss (6-1) after allowing eight earned runs off 10 hits with nine strikeouts and four walks.
