softball News - June, 2009 Archive

May 3: The St. Lawrence University softball team completed its 2009 season on Sunday afternoon against Union College in Schenectady, NY. The Saints lost the opening game 9-1 in five innings before falling to the Dutchwomen in game two by the score of 7-3.

The Saints finish the year with a 5-25 record, including a 1-7 mark in Liberty League play. Union improves to 28-6 on the season and 5-3 in the conference.

St. Lawrence held a 1-0 lead in game one after tallying the opening score of the game in the top of the second inning. Senior Meg Richardson earned a leadoff walk against Union's Tiffany Ippoliti and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Sandy Gates. Sophomore Meg Goodemote then delivered an RBI single to left to plate Richardson and put the Scarlet and Brown ahead 1-0.

The Dutchwomen would respond with a run on two hits in the bottom half of the second when Becky Gronczniak scored on a wild pitch from Goodemote, who started on the mound for the visitors. After the Saints left a runner on base in both the third and fourth innings, Union took its first lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Callee Heywood scored on a two-out error by the Saints in the infield.

May 2: St. Lawrence University junior outfielder Amy Atkins had her best offensive day of the season on Saturday, as the Westerlo, NY native finished 5-for-6 at the plate with three runs scored to help the Saints' softball team earn a split with Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Skidmore claimed the opening game of the doubleheader 2-1, while sophomore pitcher Rachel Duffany anchored the Saints to a 4-2 win in game two.

The split snaps St. Lawrence's nine-game losing streak and moves the team to 5-23 (1-5) on the season. Skidmore is 20-13 on the year but is also 1-5 in Liberty League play.

Sophomore pitcher Meg Goodemote continued to pitch well enough to win, but got little run support in the opening game. Goodemote struck out Jamie Rubin in the bottom of the first inning with the bases loaded to escape the jam and keep the game scoreless. The key out seemed to settle in the Queensbury, NY native, as she allowed only no runs and only one hit throughout the next three innings.

With Goodemote looking strong on the mound, the Saints took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. After Atkins led off the inning with a single, she moved to second when senior Emilie Lannamann was hit by a pitch from Skidmore hurler Sam Crose. Senior Lilah Brown then delivered a two-out RBI single to put the Scarlet and Brown ahead.

Apr. 29: The St. Lawrence University softball team lost a pair of non-conference games to North Country rival Potsdam State on Wednesday afternoon by the scores of 5-3 and 3-1. The defeats extended the Saints' active losing streak to eight games.

St. Lawrence (4-22) and Potsdam State (13-21) each put up three runs a piece in the first inning of game one. The Bears took a 3-0 lead on St. Lawrence sophomore pitcher Meg Goodemote, as Jessica Brower had a two-RBI single and Allison Smiddy added an RBI hit. The Saints would answer in the bottom half of the inning when junior Molly Swan delivered an RBI single and later scored on an error, while sophomore Erika Alvarez also contributed an RBI groundout.

The six runs in the opening frame would be the only offense until the seventh inning, as Goodemote escaped several jams to keep the Bears from reclaiming the lead. The Saints turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the second, and then senior Lilah Brown had an unassisted double play to end the third. St. Lawrence then caught two runners stealing from first and third to end the threat in the fourth.

Brittany Pawlowski was solid on the mound for Potsdam State, as she allowed only four hits in seven innings to keep the Saints' bats quiet. Pawlowski then helped herself out with the game-winning RBI in the top of the seventh, as she drove in Allison Breivogel for a 4-3 lead. Danielle Tierney then added an RBI single for an insurance run to pick up the victory for the Bears.

Apr. 26: The St. Lawrence University softball team dropped a pair of non-conference home games on Sunday afternoon to St. John Fisher by the scores of 6-3 and 11-2. The Saints (4-20) recognized five seniors following the games for their contributions to the program during their tenure on campus.

St. Lawrence was able to hang around in game one against the Cardinals (27-9), as sophomore Meg Goodemote gave up only eight hits in seven innings. However, she walked seven hitters, which allowed the visitors to escape with a 6-3 win. Amanda Shevchuk pitched for Fisher, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight.

The two teams exchanged runs in the second inning before Fisher regained a lead at 3-1 in the top of the third. Kristi Bradley drilled a homerun to centerfield to make it 2-1 before Carissa Carlson hit an RBI double for a 3-1 Cardinal lead. The visitors then extended that cushion to 5-1 with two more runs in the top of the fifth when Kristin McCoy scored on a wild pitch and Meghan Graves added an RBI single.

Apr. 25: The St. Lawrence University softball team gave the defending two-time Liberty League champion, the University of Rochester, all it could handle in a doubleheader at Saints Softball Field in Canton, NY on Saturday. After dropping the opening game 7-1, St. Lawrence battled Rochester to a 10-inning contest in game two which the Yellowjackets pulled out 3-2.

St. Lawrence sophomore pitcher Rachel Duffany was outstanding in game two for the Scarlet and Brown, throwing 10.0 innings while allowing three hits and no earned runs. However, she was out-dueled by the Rochester combination of Sara Hutchinson and Beth Ameno, who totaled 17 strikeouts while scattering eight hits in the winning effort.

"Rachel (Duffany) really got into a nice groove during game two and kept one of our league's best offenses off the scoreboard for nine full innings," said St. Lawrence head coach Fran Grembowicz. "We hurt ourselves with seven errors in the doubleheader and they proved to be costly in both games."

Rochester cruised to a 7-1 win in game one, as Ameno allowed only one base-runner in five innings pitched. Cara Celorio replaced her in the sixth inning and allowed one run on two hits, but the Yellowjackets' offense had already done damage against St. Lawrence sophomore hurler Meg Goodemote. Leading 3-0 in the sixth inning, Rochester's Kim Grimes delivered a three-run triple to put the game out of reach, while Elizabeth Slupinski followed with an RBI double to make it 7-0.

Apr. 19: The St. Lawrence University softball team opened up their 2009 conference schedule on Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader against Rensselaer in Canton, NY. The Red Hawks claimed an 8-0 win in the opening game, then scored 11 unanswered runs in game two to earn the sweep against the Saints.

The wins move RPI to 18-4 on the season, while St. Lawrence drops to 4-16.

Leading the way in game one for the visitors was Jen Bach, as the Rensselaer sophomore finished 3-of-4 with four RBI's and a run scored on a two-run homer in the first inning that made it 2-0. Rensselaer would tack on four runs in the second inning on St. Lawrence sophomore pitcher Meg Goodemote for a 6-0 advantage, with Bach again delivering a key two-run triple to cap the Red Hawks' scoring.

The Saints had several quality scoring chances in the opener, as the team left 12 runners on base and were unable to deliver a clutch hit. The Scarlet and Brown loaded the bases against RPI pitcher Sara Finkbeiner in the bottom of the first but came away empty, then stranded two runners in the bottom of the third.

Trailing 6-0, the Saints' had a chance to get back into the game again in the bottom of the sixth, as they once again loaded the bases on Finkbeiner with two outs. However, sophomore Melissa Rogers was retired on a line out to left field to allow RPI to escape the scoring threat.

Apr. 15: The St. Lawrence University softball team snapped a seven-game losing skid on Wednesday evening, as the Saints split a non-conference doubleheader with Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. The Continentals rallied for a 7-5 win in the opener, while a four-run first inning was enough support for sophomore pitcher Rachel Duffany, who guided St. Lawrence to a 6-3 win in game two.

St. Lawrence moves to 4-14 on the year with the split, and was able to give their pitchers some offense after struggling at the plate over the last seven games. Meanwhile, Hamilton's 2009 record stands at 5-18 after the win and loss.

St. Lawrence University junior captain Jennifer Girard finished 4-for-8 with four runs scored in the doubleheader, as she served as the visitor's spark plug in getting the offense back on track. She and sophomore Erika Alvarez were the lone Saints to earn multi-hit games on the day.

The Saints and Continentals each scored a pair of runs in the first inning of game one, but Hamilton claimed a 4-2 lead in the second against St. Lawrence sophomore pitcher Meg Goodemote. Amber O'Conner drove an RBI single to right field while Megan Coughlin added a bases loaded walk to cap the scoring in the inning, as Goodemote would avoid further damage.

Apr. 2: The St. Lawrence University softball team dropped their home opening games on Thursday afternoon to Elmira College at Saints Softball Field by the scores of 4-0 and 3-0. The Soaring Eagles' pitchers, Cassandra Fontinell and Kelli Hadley, surrendered only four hits on the afternoon to extend the Saints' losing streak to four games.

The losses move St. Lawrence to 3-11 on the season while Elmira improved to 6-2 with the victories.

Despite allowing ten hits in the opening half of the doubleheader, St. Lawrence sophomore pitcher Meg Goodemote worked to keep her team in the game by grinding through several tough situations. After getting out of a jam in the second inning, Goodemote allowed only one run in both the third and fourth despite Elmira having the bases loaded with one out each time. Jacqueline Gibson singled home the opening run in the third for the Soaring Eagles while Goodemote hit Erin Pruess to let Natalie Lesieur score in the fourth for a 2-0 cushion.

The Saints' bats remained without a hit until the sixth inning when the squad had their best chance to cut into their deficit. Junior Jess Manderfield led off with a double to centerfield and sophomore Melissa Rogers followed with a single that moved Manderfield to third. The Clarence, NY native then advanced to second as the Elmira infield paid no attention to her on the base-path.

Apr. 9: The St. Lawrence University softball team's struggles at the plate continued on Thursday afternoon, as the Saints were shut out in back-to-back games by Plattsburgh State. The Cardinals won the opening game 5-0 behind a 13-strikeout pitching performance by Bri Allen, then followed with an 8-0 win in five innings.

Plattsburgh State moved to 8-16 with the two wins, while St. Lawrence fell to 3-13 after dropping their fifth and sixth straight games.

The home team took a 1-0 lead on a leadoff inside-the-park homerun by Amy Woo in the bottom half of the opening frame. However, St. Lawrence pitcher Meg Goodemote was able to get out of a bases loaded jam with two outs to keep the Saints within striking distance.

The visitors would have a chance to even the score in the top of the third when sophomore Laura Byer reached second base with only one out. Allen buckled down though, striking out both Goodemote and junior Jennifer Girard at the top of the order to keep Plattsburgh State on top.

The Cardinals would capitalize on the momentum by putting up three runs in the bottom of the third to snag a 4-0 advantage. Nicole Diemer led off with a homerun, while Paige Molloy and Ashley Napear added RBI's in the inning.

Mar. 22: The St. Lawrence University softball team finished their annual spring break trip to Fort Myers, FL with an overall mark of 3-9 after finishing the trip 1-3 in their final four contests. The Saints split with Centenary and Worcester State before being swept by New Paltz and Plymouth State in five innings.

Centenary would give the Saints a tough 5-4 loss in the opening game on Thursday. With the two teams tied 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning, St. Lawrence took its first lead over the Cyclones when junior Molly Swan singled, advanced on a pair of wild pitches, and scored on a hit by classmate Amy Atkins. Centenary College would come right back in the bottom half of the frame, though, scoring two off of sophomore pitcher Meg Goodemote to claim a 4-2 lead.

St. Lawrence would have a dramatic rally with two outs in the top of the seventh inning to knot the game at 4-4. Goodemote and junior Jess Manderfield started the rally with singles, and Goodemote cut the deficit to 4-3 after Centenary's second baseman mishandled a sharp grounder off the bat of sophomore Melissa Rogers. Swan then delivered a clutch double to right-center, scoring Manderfield to tie the game at 4-4.

The Saints then appeared to be headed into extra innings, as Centenary's first two hitters were retired. However, a double by Krystal Brugger landed her in scoring position and she took third on an error. The Centenary sophomore would then use heads-up base-running, as she came around to score on a wild pitch to win the game 5-4 for the Cyclones.