Potsdam State Extends Saints' Skid to Eight Games
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Tara FreemanMeg Goodemote '11 had a double and scored a run against Potsdam State.
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.
Goodemote remained winless on the season after giving up ten hits and four earned runs. Pawlowski improved to 6-1 on the year after striking out five batters and earning the 5-3 victory.
Both teams received solid pitching outings in game two, as Potsdam State's Ashley McCoy logged her best start of 2009 against St. Lawrence sophomore hurler Rachel Duffany. Each pitcher struck out seven hitters in the game, though McCoy got the run support she needed in a well-pitched three-hitter to earn the 3-1 victory.
The Bears scored one run in three consecutive innings to build a 3-0 cushion as errors plagued the Saints in the early-going. McCoy scored from third on an errant pick-off attempt in the second inning to make it 1-0, while Smiddy added an RBI single in the third for a 2-0 lead. After St. Lawrence went in order in the bottom of the third, Potsdam came right back and added a run to their total when Dedra Palmer had an RBI single to score Molly Flynn.
Though Duffany would allow only one Potsdam State base runner in the final three innings, McCoy continued to keep the Saints' off of the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth. Goodemote hammered a one-out double then moved to third on a wild pitch. She then scored two batters later on an error by the Potsdam shortstop to make the score 3-1.
Needing two runs to tie the score in the bottom of the seventh, the Saints set themselves up nicely with runners at first and second with nobody out. However, McCoy buckled down and retired three consecutive batters to strand the tying runs on base and give the Bears a narrow 3-1 victory.
McCoy allowed no earned runs and struck out seven in seven innings of work to improve to 2-3 on the year while Duffany fell to 4-9 after giving up five hits and one earned run in the loss.
St. Lawrence will hit the road for the final four games of the 2009 season this weekend, as they face Liberty League opponents Skidmore and Union on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3.