Skidmore Sweeps Twinbill with Saints, 3-1 and 1-0
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Tara FreemanRachel Duffany '11 had a pair of solid outings on the mound against Skidmore.
May 1: The St. Lawrence University softball team saw its current skid hit seven games on Saturday, as Skidmore College swept the Liberty League games by the scores of 3-1 and 1-0 (9) in Canton, NY. Junior pitcher Rachel Duffany was outstanding on the mound for the Saints, allowing only one earned run in 16.0 innings pitched, while senior Amy Atkins hit her sixth home run of the year to tie the University single-season record.
St. Lawrence falls to 12-15 on the season, while Skidmore improves to 21-11 overall. Sam Crose earned both wins on the mound for the Thoroughbreds to move to 14-6 on the season, though Abby Fuhrman had a strong three-hit outing in game two despite a no decision.
With both Duffany and Crose in control throughout the opening stages of game one, Atkins gave the Saints a 1-0 lead when she nailed a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie classmate Molly Swan's single-season record of six homers. The lead wouldn't stand for long, though, as three St. Lawrence errors in the top of the fifth would let Skidmore claim a 3-1 advantage on three unearned runs. Lauren Dinsdale tied the score at 1-1 on an error, and Arielle Manstein followed with a two-RBI single to left for the two-run cushion.
The Saints' best chance to rally came in the bottom of the sixth, when Swan reached on a single and moved to third on a hit by graduate student Emilie Lannamann. However, Crose buckled down with two outs and got rookie Elizabeth McGinley to ground out to second to end the threat and allow the Thoroughbreds to hang on for a 3-1 win.
Crose earned the win after giving up one earned run on six hits, while Duffany suffered the loss despite scattering four hits and allowing no earned runs.
Game two proved to be a fantastic pitchers' dual between Duffany and Fuhrman through five innings, as each held the opposing teams scoreless. The Saints had their best opportunity when they loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth. However, Fuhrman held Lannamann from picking up an RBI when she grounded to short and pinch runner Lauren Weisbarth was out at the plate. McGinley then hit a ball to short, and though the runner was out at the plate again, the Thoroughbreds came up throwing to try and get her at first for the double play. The throw bounced off of McGinley's helmet and went into right field, allowing a run to score. However, the umpires huddled and ruled that McGinley was outside the line and was out for runner's interference, ending the inning and keeping the game scoreless through four.
The missed chance would prove costly to the Saints, as they never had a runner to third base again. With Duffany cruising, the team had a chance to take a lead in the sixth when Swan doubled to left, chasing Fuhrman from the game. Crose would be solid in relief, though, getting Atkins to line out and Lannamann to ground out to end the inning.
Despite Duffany's best efforts, Skidmore would push across the only run of the game in the top of the ninth inning. Dinsdale and Christina Gargiso and Michelle Andersen had three consecutive singles to load the bases, and Manstein's grounder to second allowed Dinsdale to score the go-ahead run. Though Duffany would get out of the jam allowing only the one run, Crose retired the meat of the Saints' line-up in order in the bottom of the ninth for the 1-0 victory.
Duffany gave up 11 hits but only the one run in 9.0 innings including three strikeout and no walks. Crose got the win after allowing no hits in 3.2 innings, while Furhman gave up three hits in 5.1 innings.
St. Lawrence will finish the regular season tomorrow, Sunday, May 2 when the team celebrates "Senior Day" with a doubleheader against Union beginning at 1:00pm.