Pittsford, NY–Russell Sage College's softball team opened play on Tuesday in the 2021 Empire 8 Softball Championship hosted by St. John Fisher College. In the first game of the tournament, top seeded SJFC advanced with a 5-0 win over Utica College. In the second game, #3 seeded Alfred topped the Gators, 10-0. In the first elimination game of the day, RSC beat Utica, 6-4 to move on, while Utica's season comes to an end. RSC improves to 17-5 on the year and will now play again on May 13 at St. John Fisher College at 2:30 p.m. against the loser of Thursday's first game featuring SJFC and Alfred University.
Game #1 Alfred 10-0 RSC (5 Innings)
Alfred University's graduate player Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) struck out 11 Gators in collecting the complete game shutout win to keep her team in the winner's bracket. Wilcox improves to 15-3 after she scattered two hits. Junior pitcher Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) suffered the loss as she allowed six earned runs off 11 hits in three innings of work. She drops to 14-3 on the year. Sophomore Makayla Lindsey (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield) also worked two innings for the Gators as she allowed four earned runs off two hits with four walks and a pair of wild pitches.
Dicranian had a double at the plate as the Gators were held in check to just two hits by Wilcox.
Game # 2 RSC 6-4 Utica
In a see-saw battle, RSC and Utica faced off on Tuesday afternoon for the fifth time this season. RSC lead 1-0 after the first inning before the Pioneers took a 3-1 lead with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. RSC tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. RSC added two more runs in the top of the sixth and a single run in the top of the seventh.
Dicranian picked up another complete game win as she scattered 11 hits and allowed just three earned runs in seven innings of work. She picked up her 15th win of the season, and is now just one victory shy of tying the program's single-season victory mark set in 2012 by Kelsey Newberg (16).
Dicranian, Lindsey and junior outfielder Arianna Papas (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) all connected for doubles in the game, while Papas was 4 for 4 at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI. Dicranian was ¾ with a run scored, a double, and two RBI's, while Lindsey added a 2/4 effort with two RBI's.
On the season, Papas now has a .524 batting average with 43 hits, nine doubles and 16 RBI's. The 43 hits is tied for 23rd best in single-season hits, while nine doubles is tied for 24th best. Dicranian leads team with 13 doubles and now has a .513 batting average with 41 hits and 20 RBI's. She ranks 10th now in single-season doubles, while her 41 hits is 28th best. On her career, Dicranian has 19 career doubles and is 13th all-time on the career double list, while continuing her climb in the program's career pitching records as well. She has now worked 42 games in the circle (No. 14), working in 178.2 innings (No. 16), while producing a 16-10 record. Her 16 career wins is 10th best. Senior third baseman Emily Agate (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) has now collected 80 career hits in 86 games played with 15 career doubles and 63 RBI's. She is 15th in career RBI's, 18th in career home runs (5), 19th in career doubles, and 24th in career hits.
