ROOKIES HELP SAINTS END LOSING STREAK

BY SWEEPING ST. JOHN FISHER

April 20: The St. Lawrence University softball team snapped their 13-game losing streak in style on Sunday afternoon, as the Saints swept a non-conference doubleheader with St. John Fisher in Pittsford, NY. First year students Meg Goodemote and Rachel Duffany were sharp in the victories, while fellow rookie Yessenia Chimelis delivered her first career homerun to help the Saints win Game One.

 

With the wins, St. Lawrence improves to 5-17 on the season, while the Cardinals drop to 17-18.

 

In the first half of the doubleheader, each team scored a run in the first inning as sophomore Molly Swan came across on a single by first year student Vicki Antanavige for the visitors and Samantha Vara homered off Goodemote to tie the score at 1-1 for Fisher.

 

After Cardinal pitcher Amanda Shevchuk issued a walk to first year student Laura Byer, Chimelis belted her first career homerun to put her team on top 3-1. The offense would be all that Goodemote would need, as the Queensbury, NY native was sharp throughout the contest.

 

After St. John Fisher pulled to within one run at 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning, the home team had their chance to even things up in the bottom of the fifth. Vara again got the Cardinals going with a leadoff single, while Nicole Middleton and Laura Rojek drew walks to load the bases with two outs. However, Goodemote buckled down and got Meghan Graves to pop up to the shortstop to end the inning and get out of the jam.

 

The Cardinals would only have one hit in the final two frames off of the rookie hurler, and St. Lawrence was able to celebrate a 3-2 win as Goodemote scattered eight hits over seven innings while walking two and striking out to and improving to 4-7 this season. Shevchuk suffered the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and a walk.

 

Duffany, who despite pitching well as of late was still looking for her first win of the season, threw a gem against St. John Fisher, allowing only four hits and never more than one in an inning. The Watertown, NY native finished with three strikeouts and no walks in the contest.

 

The Saints came through offensively for their starter in the fourth and seventh innings. After being no-hit through three innings, junior Lilah Brown led off the fourth with a single off of Cardinals’ starter Rojek. After the visitors landed runners on second and third with two outs, a throwing error by the home team’s shortstop allowed two runs to score and put St. Lawrence on top, 2-0.

 

The Scarlet and Brown then added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, as sophomore Jenna Padeni, rookie Melissa Rogers, Swan and junior Meg Richardson belted consecutive singles to make the score 3-0.

 

That lead was more than enough for Duffany, who worked perfect sixth and seventh innings to earn her first collegiate win and improve to 1-10. Rojek suffered the loss, giving up three runs on six hits in seven innings of work.

 

St. Lawrence will look to add to their momentum on Tuesday, April 22 when they visit North Country foe Potsdam State for a doubleheader beginning at 3:00pm.

 

 

ROCHESTER RALLIES TO SWEEP SAINTS IN

LIBERTY LEAGUE DOUBLEHEADER

April 19: The St. Lawrence University softball team dropped a Liberty League doubleheader to the University of Rochester on Saturday, extending the team’s losing streak to 13 games. Rookie pitcher Meg Goodemote threw a two-hitter in the opening game, but saw a one-run lead evaporate in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sophomore Molly Swan finished 5-of-8 at the plate with three runs batted in on the afternoon.

 

The Saints (3-17, 0-4) grabbed an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning of the opening game on four hits and an error. After consecutive hits by sophomore Jessica Manderfield and junior Lilah Brown, a passed ball and an error allowed the lead runner to score to put the visitors on top, 1-0. Goodemote then helped herself with a two-out double, scoring two more runs, and Swan singled in Goodemote to make it 4-0 against Yellowjacket pitcher Brittany Hylen.

 

After cruising through the third inning, the Saints ran into trouble in the fourth as Rochester (19-10, 4-0) cut the deficit to one run at 4-3. After hitting a batter and walking two, Goodemote gave up an RBI single to Brittany Celeste that make it 4-2 with no one out. After an error allowed another run to score, the rookie pitcher battled her way out of the jam to keep her team ahead 4-3.

 

Hylen was able to stall the Saints’ offense long enough to give her team a chance to win. After getting out of the 5 th unscathed following a lead-off walk, Rochester threatened in the bottom of the sixth. Alicia Citro was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and moved to second on sac bunt. Beth Ameno then reached via an error, allowing Citro to score and for her to move all the way to third. With the score tied at 4-4, a pitch got away from sophomore catcher, allowing Ameno to score the go-ahead run on the passed ball.

 

Trailing 5-4, Swan came up big with a lead-off double in the top half of the seventh inning to chase Hylen. After rookie Melissa Rogers bunted Swan over to third off of Ameno, who relieved Hylen, a wild pitch gave Swan a green light to try and score the tying run. After getting behind the Rochester catcher, the ball bounced hard off the backstop’s post and came back towards home plate. In a close play at the plate, the Ameno tagged out Swan to keep her team’s 5-4 lead in tact. Following a strikeout of junior Meg Richardson, the Yellowjackets celebrated a come-from-behind win.

 

Goodemote suffered the loss, falling to 3-7 on the season. She gave up three earned runs on two hits, three walks and two hit batsmen. Hylen picked up the win and improved to 3-2 after six innings of work.

 

In the second half of the doubleheader, Rochester jumped out to an 8-0 lead after three innings to seize control of the contest. After a solo homerun by Jess Sorrentino put the home team up 1-0 in the first, the Yellowjackets picked up five more runs in the second inning on four hits and one error for a 6-0 cushion.

 

Sorrentino then hurt St. Lawrence rookie pitcher Rachel Duffany again in the third, as she blasted a two-run homer to make it 8-0 Rochester.

 

The Saints would chip away in the fourth and fifth innings, cutting the lead to 8-3. Swan made it 8-2 when she ripped an RBI single to right field to plate first year students Yessenia Chimelis and Laura Byer. Brown then doubled to center field in the fifth inning, scoring Manderfield from second to complete St. Lawrence’s scoring.

 

Rochester added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to bring the game to its final score of 9-3.

 

Ameno earned the win in Game Two, improving to 15-8 on the season. She gave up two hits and no runs in three innings of work, while Citro was solid in four innings of relief. Duffany fell to 0-10 this season after allowing nine runs on ten hits.

 

St. Lawrence will try again to snap their losing streak tomorrow, Sunday, April 20 when they play a doubleheader against St. John Fisher beginning at 1:00pm.