Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – The Skidmore College softball team broke the Skidmore College season win record a 2-0 Liberty League win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday. The Thoroughbreds end a solid 2009 campaign with a softball program-record of 21 wins.
The Red Hawks took game two by a score of 4-1. RPI is now 22-12.
Game one featured a pitchers' duel during the first five innings until Skidmore sophomore Caitlin Ketcham (North Clarendon, Vt.) hit her second homerun in as many days to drive in the only runs of the contest and give the Thoroughbreds a 2-0 lead going into the seventh inning.
Ketcham and junior Lauren Dinsdale (Harrington Park, N.J.) each had two hits for the Thoroughbreds in the win.
Freshman Sam Crose (Assonet, Mass.) picked up her eighth shutout of the season with five strikeouts to improve to 19-10 on the mound. Sophomore Jen Bach (Landsdale, Pa.) took the loss for the Red Hawks, garnering seven strikeouts in six innings pitched.
In the nightcap, RPI got on the board in the first when junior Becky Bailey (Rome, N.Y.) scored off of an error to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
Dinsdale evened the score in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI double to left center to score Arielle Manstein (Elkins Park, Pa.).
It remained a tie ballgame until the sixth inning when RPI freshman Samantha Paulding (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) drove in classmate Sara Heller (Guilderland, N.Y) with an RBI single to put the Red Hawks up 2-1.
RPI knocked in two more in the seventh to secure the 4-1 victory.
Senior Sara Finkbeiner (Napanoch, N.Y.) threw seven complete innings on the mound with two strikeouts in the win for the visitors.
Dinsdale and freshman Lauren Bernstein (White Plains, N.Y.) both doubled for the Thoroughbreds, while Bailey and Bach were both 2-for-4 for at the plate to lead the Red Hawks offense.
Skidmore College 2, Rensselaer 0 (May 03, 2009 at Saratoga Springs, NY) (Game 1)
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Rensselaer.......... 000 000 0 - 0 6 0 (22-12, 3-4 Liberty)
Skidmore College.... 000 002 X - 2 8 0 (21-13, 2-5 Liberty)
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Pitchers: Rensselaer - Jen Bach. Skidmore College - Sam Crose.
Win-Sam Crose(19-10) Loss-Jen Bach(7-3) T-1:20 A-100
Rensselaer 4, Skidmore College 1 (May 03, 2009 at Saratoga Springs, NY) (Game 2)
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Rensselaer.......... 100 001 2 - 4 8 1 (23-12, 4-4 Liberty)
Skidmore College.... 100 000 0 - 1 5 6 (21-14, 2-6 Liberty)
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Pitchers: Rensselaer - Sara Finkbeiner. Skidmore College - Sam Crose.
Win-Sara Finkbeiner(6-4) Loss-Sam Crose(19-11) T-1:25 A-110
