Troy, NY – The Sage Colleges' softball team hosted the Fighting Tigers of SUNY-Cobleskill on Friday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader. The Gators swept SUNY-Cobleskill as rookie pitcher Katie Kovage (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) tossed a no-hitter in her first collegiate start and helped Sage to an 11-0 win in the first game. Junior shortstop Hillary Faas (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) connected for two homeruns on the day and paced the Gators to a 3-1 win in the nightcap.
Sage improves to 5-9 overall, riding a four-game win streak. SUNY-Cobleskill drops to 2-6 overall.
In the first game, Sage's rookie pitcher Kovage had a perfect game until fourth inning when the first and only base runner reached on a throwing error. Kovage finished the afternoon with five strikeouts and no hits in her five innings of work and improves to 1-0 on the season.
Offensively, she was aided by the Gator bats that came alive with seven hits, including a grand slam to left field to help Sage rack up 10 runs in the inning as Sage sent 13 batters to the plate and Faas started her fourth inning with a double to center field to start the inning.
Graduate student Rachel Smith (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) connected for a double and drove in two runs for the Gators, while freshman Kiersten Gray (Glenville, NY/Niskayuna) also drove in two runs. Sophomore Kirsten Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) was 2-2 with three stolen bases as well.
SUNY-Cobleskill's freshman pitcher Erin Wadsworth (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) took the loss and falls to 2-2 after allowing four earned runs off seven hits with four strikeouts.
In the second game, Sage jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after Smith led off with a single to left center and Faas connected for her second homerun of the day, a two RBI shot to give Sage the lead.
SUNY-Cobleskill's sophomore Julia Lull (St. Johnsville, NY/St. Johnsville) banged in a solo home run in the third inning to put the Fighting Tigers within one run, down 2-1. The Gators struck right back with a RBu single by Gray to drive in Faas in the bottom of the third.
Faas finished with a 2-3 effort with two RBIs, while Gray connected for her third RBI of the day with her performance at the plate.
Smith picked up the win in the circle for Sage as she fanned eight batters and yielded just one run off three hits.
Cobleskill's sophomore pitcher Brianne Gray (Hornell, NY/Hornell) took the loss to drop to 0-4 after allowing three earned runs off 10 hits with three strikeouts.
Sage returns to action on March 30 hosting NYU-Poly in the team's 2013 Skyline Conference opener. Action commences at noon at Robison Field.
