Albany, NY –Russell Sage College's softball team hosted Utica University on Wednesday at the Plumeri Sports Complex. The Gators posted a 4-3 win in the first game and then took the nightcap, 13-1 in five innings. The Gators improve to 15-13 overall with a record of 7-3 in the Empire 8. Utica falls to 15-13 overall and 4-6 in the league.
Game #1 RSC 4-3 Utica
In the circle for RSC, rookie Leah Madore (Williamsville, VT/Brattleboro Union) picked up another complete game win as she allowed three earned runs off of eight hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts. She improves to 8-5 this season with a team-best 47 strikeouts.
RSC's bats combined for four doubles in the action. RSC's outfielder and graduate player Arianna Papas (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) had a lead-off double in the bottom of the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly by graduate performer Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union). Papas finished the contest having gone 2-for-2 with two runs scored, while rookie Ciana Santana (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) was 2-for-3 with an RBI, a double and a stolen base.
The Pioneers had a late-game rally as with one out, rookie outfielder Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark) belted a solo shot to center field and Madore got the next two batters to pop up to cut the Utica rally short.
Game #2 RSC 13- 1 Utica (5 Innings)
RSC tacked one six runs in their first at-bats and never looked back as added three in the bottom of the second, and another four in the bottom of the third to have a 13-0 lead. Utica broke up the shutout bid with a single run in the top of the fifth as pinch hitter Bailey McElwain drove in the Pioneers' lone run.
Three Gators drove in three runs a piece in the action as Dicranian, junior Amelia Wasilko (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C. Ketcham), and senior Erika Markowski (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) all had big days at the plate. Dicranian and Markowski each homered, while Papas and Wasilko both had doubles.
Wasilko was 3-for-3, while senior Lauren Salmonese (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) was 2-for-2 with three runs scored, and a triple.
Dicranian wrapped her banner afternoon with another complete game win in the circle. She allowed just 1 unearned run with six strikeouts on four hits. She is now 7-8 with 21 strikeouts in 90.1 innings of work this season. Dicranian now has 47 career doubles, just one shy of tying the record set by Kiersten Duncan with 48, while also adding 135 hits (8th). She now played in 121 games on her career with 366 at bats, 47 doubles (No. 2), 73 runs scored (No. 12), and 76 RBI's (No. 10). As impressive as her numbers are at the plate, she has been just as effective for RSC during her time as a Gator. She continues to add to her active career record having worked in 394.1 innings, while earning 31 wins (No.2), has 34 complete games (No. 7), 86 strikeouts (No. 15), and 86 career appearances (No. 1).
Papas who is on the 2023 NFCA Regional Player to Watch for Division III, now has 135 career hits and is eighth in the Gator career record book tied with Dicranian. She has played in 87 games with 282 career at-bats ranks 23rd, while her 36 career doubles is tied for eighth. She has also driven in 69 RBI's (No. 15), while scoring 92 runs (No.7) and has been successful on 19-of-21 stolen base attempts and ranks 12th.
Salmonese moves into the No. six spot with her 28 career stolen bases and has only been thrown out twice on her career in 96 games played.
RSC are slated to return to action hosting Medaille University in an Empire 8 doubleheader slated for a 1 p.m. start on April 23 at the Clifton Park Commons Field.
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