Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – The Skidmore College softball team earned a split in Wednesday's non-league doubleheader, defeating Middlebury 4-1 in the opener and falling 7-4 in game two.

The Thoroughbreds are now 8-8 on the season, while the Panthers are 9-5.

Skidmore got off to a fast start in the opener as Carol Brown (Seattle, Wash.) led off with a double and was quickly plated on another double from Tara DeGeorge (Seaford, N.Y.) to give the Thoroughbreds a 1-0 lead. They would make it 3-0 later in the inning on back-to-back RBI singles from Cora Crafts (Gilford, N.H.) and Lauren Tobias (New City, N.Y.).

Skidmore got ahead 4-0 when a single from DeGeorge scored Christina Gargiso (Staten Island, N.Y.) in the second inning. Middlebury was able to get a run across in the third on Megan Margel's RBI single, but that's all they would be able to get as the Thoroughbreds took the opener, 4-1.

DeGeorge and Tobias combined to go 4-for-6 with three of the teams four RBI. Margel and Kira Gordon each had two hits for the Panthers.

Sam Crose (Assonet, Mass.) picked up the win for Skidmore, improving to 6-4 on the season. She tossed a complete game, allowing one unearned run on five hits while striking out four. Ali McAnaney took the loss for Middlebury; she allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings while striking out six.

In the nightcap, the Panthers got out to the early lead as they took advantage of an error and got out to a four-run lead in the third, highlighted by Emma Katz's bases-clearing double.

Middlebury made it 6-0 in the fifth on an RBI double from Geena Constantin and an RBI single from Katz and pushed the lead to 7-0 in the sixth on another RBI from Constantin.

The Thoroughbreds didn't give up; they broke into the scoring column on a sacrifice fly from Julia Schwartz (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) in the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh, Gargiso singled home Arielle Manstein (Elkins Park, Pa.) and Tobias also scored on the play as Gargiso ended up on third. Brown was able to plate Gargiso on a sacrifice fly and cut the lead to 7-4.

With two outs Skidmore was able to load the bases on a pair of walks from DeGeorge and Lauren Dinsdale (Harrington Park, N.J.) and a single from Schwartz, but Constantin was able to get the final out on a strike-out and secure the 7-4 Panther victory.

Schwartz finished with two hits and an RBI for Skidmore as Brown and Gargiso also drove in runs. Katz, Constantin and Emily Burbridge each had three hits for Middlebury as Katz finished with four RBI.

Crose took the loss for the Thoroughbreds, tossing four innings and allowing five runs (one earned). Schwartz tossed two innings of relief, allowing two runs and Abby Fuhrman (Amherst, Mass) tossed a scoreless seventh.

Constantin earned the win, allowing four runs on four hits, while striking out eight and walking seven in the complete-game effort.

Skidmore hosts Sage College at 3:30 p.m. on April 7.