ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College advanced to the four-team, double-elimination portion of the Empire 8 Conference Championship Tournament by defeating visiting Keuka 5-0 this afternoon.
The Gators scratched across an unearned run in the first, before adding on a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth.
Sophomore Leah Madore (Williamsville, VT/Brattleboro Union), who was selected the E8 Pitcher of the Week for the period ending Sunday, May 5, made the early support standup, fanning 12 Wolves in the complete game shutout. It was a milestone day for the righty (10-10), who set the program's single-season record for innings pitched, an E8-leading 158.0 and counting, and became just the fifth Gator to surpass 200 career strikeouts. She currently tops the Conference with 146 strikeouts and 15 complete games.
Junior catcher Abigayle Campbell (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while freshman shortstop Allison Kenyon (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) was 2-for-2.
"Leah was great once again for us this afternoon," said Head Coach Stephanie Reinhardt. "She didn't give in to batters that saw a lot of pitchers and relied on her defense when needed to help get out of jams. Being able to score early and then tack on some insurance runs helped give Leah some breathing room."
Junior utility Hali Jenner paced Keuka (13-21) with a 2-for-3 afternoon.
RSC (13-22) takes on top-seeded Saint John Fisher on Thursday at 4:00 PM.
Gator Bites: RSC swept Saturday’s home E8 doubleheader from Elmira to secure not only the final playoff spot, but hosting rights for the first round…Head Coach Stephanie Reinhardt (Manhattan ’18) is in her first season at the helm of the Gators…10 players, including six starters returned this spring…Madore was selected the E8 Pitcher of the Week for the periods ending Sunday, April 7 and Sunday, May 5.... She entered the action at Saint John Fisher leading the Conference with 158.0 innings pitched, 15 complete games, and two saves...The righty has whiffed 146 hitters, most in the E8...Madore went 3-0 with 30 strikeouts and a 0.37 ERA last week...Opposing hitters only managed 10 hits and batted .149 off Madore during the three complete game wins... Sophomore Emma Heartquist (Stuyvesant, NY/Ichabod Crane) was chosen the E8 Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, May 5…She slashed .538/.846/.571 with five runs scored and two RBI across four games...Heading into the postseason, the catcher/outfielder led RSC with a .388 batting average and a .463 slugging percentage...She was one of five Gators batting better than .305, with four hitting greater than .340...Sophomore infielder Amber Banas (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties) stood out during the playoff push, batting .514 during the final 11 contests of the regular season...Junior outfielder Madalyn Ring (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) and freshman infielder Annalise Tyler (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) effectively set the table...Ring had a .343 batting average with 22 stolen bases, while Tyler was batting .363 with a .414 on-base percentage and 15 steals...The duo ranked second and third respectively in the E8 for stolen bases…Senior outfielder Isabella Vano (Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown) and sophomore infielder Ciana Santana (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) top RSC with 18 RBI.
Gator Golf: The 19th Annual Gator Golf Classic will be held May 31, 2024. More Information: https://www.sagegators.com/
