Pittsford, NY–Russell Sage College's softball team faced top seeded St. John Fisher College on Thursday afternoon in the second day of the 2021 Empire 8 Softball Championship. In the first game of the day, third seeded Alfred University posted a 6-0 win over No. 14 ranked St. John Fisher, setting the stage for the second elimination game. The Cardinals collected a 13-5 win over the third seeded Gators to end the team's 2021 Empire 8 title run.

Alfred and St. John Fisher College will meet on May 15 for the championship game at SJFC.

RSC wraps their tremendous season with a record of 17-6. Along the way, the team strung together an eight-game win streak, while three players earned Empire 8 First Team All-Conference citations, and the Gators also had three players honored with weekly awards from the Empire 8.

RSC jumped out to a 1-0 lead with an RBI single by senior third baseman Emily Agate (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) to drive in junior outfielder Arianna Papas (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill), who had a double to left center to reach base.

SJFC tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead and added three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-1 lead. The Gators added three runs in the top of the third inning as sophomore Makayla Lindsey (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield) added a double and sophomore Erika Markowski (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), junior Kate Keeley (Waterbury, CT/Sacred Heart), and sophomore Lauren Salmonese (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) all drove in runs. On the inning, the Gators added three runs off four hits including doubles by Lindsey and Salmonese and pulled within one run, down, 5-4.

The Cardinals tacked on a single run in the bottom half of the inning before Sage pulled within one run again, down 6-5 in the top of the sixth as Salmonese singled and advanced to third on a fielding error at second base. She would score on the stolen base attempt by Isabella Vano (Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown) to give the team their fifth run of the game.

In the bottom half of the inning, SJFC would tally seven runs spurred by the two-run home run by Sammie Torlish and a two-RBI single by Emma Smith and Maria Marcera.

Junior pitcher Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) suffered the loss as she allowed four earned runs off five hits in 1.1 innings of work. She drops to 15-4 for the year. Sophomore Makayla Lindsey (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield) worked 4.1 innings for the Gators as she allowed eight earned runs off 14 hits with a pair of walks and strikeouts. SJFC's Emily Trotman picked up a complete game win as she allowed four earned runs off 12 hits with a walk and four strikeouts and improves to 13-2.

On the season, Papas finished the year with a team-leading 45 hits, .523 batting average, with three homeruns and three triples. A 23-game starter, her 2021 numbers place her 19^th in single-season hits, 23^rd with 10 doubles, 16^th in triples, 12^th in runs scored (33), while her .523 batting average ranks second in the Gator record book.

Dicranian worked both in the circle and at the plate this spring, excelling in both areas. She ranks second all-time in single-season victories (15), while having worked 115.1 innings (14^th best), 15^th in appearances (22), with a 3.76 ERA that also ranks 22^nd best. At the plate, she batted .494 with 41 hits, a team-best 13 doubles and added 20 RBI's.  The 41 hits ranks 28^th best in single-season performances, while her 13 doubles is 10^th best. On her career, she has tallied 19 career doubles already and is 13^th best on the career record book. She has now appeared in 43 games, which ranks 13^th best, while adding work in 180.0 innings which is 16^th best. She is also 10^th with 16 career victories.

Agate added seven extra-base hits this spring after posting a .312 batting average and led the team driving in 26 RBI's. She has now played in 87 games with 81 career hits which ranks 24^th best. Her 15 career doubles is 19^th best, while her 64 career RBI's is 14^th best. She is also 18^th in career home runs (5), while her 254 career at-bats is 26^th best.

Lindsey, who also saw double duty this spring batted .325 with nine doubles, three home runs, and had 21 RBI's, while also working in 14 games in the circle, going 2-2 with 21 strikeouts in 46.1 innings of work.

Salmonese finished the year going 6-6 on stolen bases this spring, while also adding 17 hits. Rice added a .326 batting average with 22 runs scored and connected for seven extra-base hits.

All told, the Gators combined for a .331 batting average with 50 doubles, 11 homeruns, and 65 extra-base hits under the guidance of head coach Erica Li. The team's 2021 numbers rank sixth in wins (17), fifth in team batting average, eighth in doubles, while their 8-game win streak mid-season also ranks fourth best in longest win streaks.