SAINTS EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO SIX

WITH SWEEP OF THOROUGHBREDS

April 26: The St. Lawrence University softball team extended its current winning streak to six games with a pair of Liberty League victories over Skidmore College at Saints Softball Field on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore co-captain Amy Atkins delivered a clutch two RBI double to lift the Saints to a 10-8 win in game one, while rookie pitcher Rachel Duffany held the Thoroughbreds to only three hits in a 9-1 game two victory.

 

The Saints improved to 9-17 (2-4) with the wins, while Skidmore fell to 9-23 (0-6). Duffany earned both wins, though the game one victory was in relief of fellow classmate Meg Goodemote.

 

After Skidmore scored twice in the top half of the first behind three St. Lawrence errors, the Scarlet and Brown rebounded with a four-run third to take a 4-2 lead. After Goodemote came around to score on a wild pitch and sophomore Molly Swan tied it at 2-2 on an error, rookie Vicky Antanavige laced a single to left which allowed junior Lilah Brown to score. First year student Melissa Rogers also came around on the hit thanks to an error to put the home team on top 4-2.

 

The Saints tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth when Goodemote drove in both Antanavige and junior Meg Richardson off of Skidmore hurler Sarah Stehower to push the lead to 6-2.

 

The Thoroughbreds came roaring back in the top of the sixth, though, as they plated six runs on five hits and three St. Lawrence errors to grab an 8-6 lead. Delivering RBI’s for Skidmore in the inning were Caitlin Ketcham, Sasha Diamond-Lenow, Megan Braucher and Thyra Johnson.

 

St. Lawrence, now in need of a rally, would respond in style in the bottom half of the sixth with four runs on three hits and two Skidmore errors to once again regain the lead 10-8. Consecutive singles by Brown and sophomore Jess Manderfield would get the Saints rolling, and after Brown scored on an error, sophomore Alexandria Wajer would load the bases when she struck out but reached on an error by the catcher.

 

After rookie Laura Byer tied the game at 6-6 with a sacrifice fly to right field, Atkins roped a two-out RBI double to the gap, scoring both Wajer and Antanavige for the go-ahead runs at 10-8.

 

Though Duffany allowed the lead-off batter to reach in the top of the seventh, she escaped with no damage done and a 10-8 St. Lawrence victory.

 

The Saints would carry their momentum over from the game one victory to the second half of the doubleheader, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Goodemote led off with a walk, and after moving to third on a single by Swan, scored on a passed ball. Brown would then plate Swan with an RBI groundout for a two-run advantage.

 

Skidmore’s Lauren Dinsdale smashed a homerun to lead off the second inning for the visitors, though, pulling her team to within a run at 2-1. That would be the last run that Duffany would allow to score as she gave up only two more hits in the contest to earn her second win of the day.

 

The home team used six Skidmore errors to their advantage, scoring four runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to win the game 9-1 in five innings. Players with RBI’s in the game for St. Lawrence included Byer (2), Swan (2) and Goodemote, who drew a walk-off bases loaded walk for the 9-1 victory.

 

Duffany pitched 5.0 innings and allowed a run on three hits to improve to 4-10 on the season, while Dinsdale suffered the loss falling to 1-3 after allowing six runs on six hits in 3.2 innings.

 

St. Lawrence will look to extend its winning streak tomorrow, Sunday, April 27 when they take on Union College in the final home games of the 2008 season. The doubleheader is set to begin at 1:00pm, and will be the final games for senior Sheila Rodriguez.

 

 

SAINTS’ OFFENSE THRIVES IN SWEEP

OF POTSDAM STATE , 6-3 AND 14-6

April 22: The St. Lawrence University softball team earned their second straight doubleheader sweep on Tuesday evening with 6-3 and 14-6 wins over North Country rival Potsdam State in Potsdam, NY. Sophomore Jessica Manderfield and rookie Vicky Antanavige led the charge in the second game, while first year student Melissa Rogers recorded six hits on the afternoon.

 

The consecutive wins extended the Saints’ winning streak to four games and improved the team’s record to

7-17.

 

In the opener, first year pitcher Meg Goodemote was able to keep the home team’s line-up in check, allowing only three runs in seven innings. Rogers helped spark the Saints’ offense with a pair of doubles and an RBI, while Antanavige and fellow rookies Laura Byer and Yessenia Chimelis added RBI’s in the top of the sixth to give the visitors the lead.

 

With the bases loaded, Potsdam State ’s pitcher hit Goodemote, allowing another run to cross the plate, giving St. Lawrence a 5-2 advantage.

 

The Saints would cap their scoring in the opening game when junior Meg Richardson walked and came around to score two batters later on an error by the third baseman. Potsdam would add one run in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to deny Goodemote (5-7) her second straight victory.

 

The heart of the Saints’ batting order proved to be clutch in the second half of the doubleheader, as Rogers, junior Lilah Brown, Manderfield and Antanavige, hitting in the two through five spots, cleaned up against the Bears. Trailing 2-0 in the early going, Antanavige delivered a two-out double to plate Brown and Manderfield who posted consecutive singles to start the rally.

 

After first year pitcher Rachel Duffany, the Liberty League’s “Co-Rookie of the Week” this week, fell behind 3-2 in the bottom of the third, the Scarlet and Brown responded again when sophomore Amy Atkins scored on a double by fellow classmate Molly Swan to knot the score at 3-3.

 

The Saints’ offense then blew the game open and assured Duffany of her second straight win in the top of the fifth, as the team batted around in the inning to score eight runs and take an 11-3 lead. Delivering RBI hits for

St. Lawrence in the inning were Atkins, Chimelis, Rogers (2), Brown, Manderfield and Antanavige (2).

 

Though Potsdam State would extend the game with a run in the bottom half of the inning, St. Lawrence would tack on three more runs in the top half of the seventh, with Manderfield (2) ad Antanavige again driving in the runs.

 

Atkins finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate in the second game, while Manderfield was 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two singles and Antanavige finished 3-of-5 with a pair of doubles as well.

 

The Saints will look to add to their current win streak when they welcome Skidmore College to Saints Softball Field on Saturday, April 26, with the doubleheader beginning at 1:00pm.