Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

Canton, N.Y.-- The Skidmore College softball team punched its ticket for the first Liberty League Championship Tournament with a 3-1, 1-0 sweep of St. Lawrence University, Saturday in Canton.

The Thoroughbreds are 21-11 overall and 3-3 in Liberty League play. Skidmore will close out its league schedule at RPI on Wednesday.   The Saints fall to 12-15 and 1-5.

Sam Crose earned both wins on the mound, though Abby Fuhrman had a strong three-hit outing in game two despite a no decision.

With both pitchers  in control throughout the opening stages of game one, Amy Atkins gave the Saints a 1-0 lead when she nailed a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning. The lead wouldn't stand for long, though, as three St. Lawrence errors in the top of the fifth would let Skidmore claim a 3-1 advantage. Lauren Dinsdale tied the score at 1-1 on an error, and Arielle Manstein followed with a two-RBI single to left for the two-run cushion.

The Saints' best chance to rally came in the bottom of the sixth, when Swan reached on a single and moved to third on a hit by graduate student Emilie Lannamann. However, Crose buckled down with two outs and got rookie Elizabeth McGinley to ground out to second to end the threat and allow the Thoroughbreds to hang on for a 3-1 win.

Crose earned the win after giving up one earned run on six hits.

Game two proved to be a fantastic pitchers' dual between Duffany and Fuhrman through five innings, as each held the opposing teams scoreless. The Saints had their best opportunity when they loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth. However, Fuhrman held Lannamann from picking up an RBI when she grounded to short and pinch runner Lauren Weisbarth was out at the plate. McGinley then hit a ball to short, and though the runner was out at the plate again, the Thoroughbreds came up throwing to try and get her at first for the double play.

Skidmore would push across the only run of the game in the top of the ninth inning. Dinsdale and Christina Gargiso and Michelle Andersen had three consecutive singles to load the bases, and Manstein's grounder to second allowed Dinsdale to score the go-ahead run. Though Duffany would get out of the jam allowing only the one run, Crose retired the meat of the Saints' line-up in order in the bottom of the ninth for the 1-0 victory.

Duffany gave up 11 hits but only the one run in 9.0 innings including three strikeout and no walks. Crose got the win after allowing no hits in 3.2 innings, while Furhman gave up three hits in 5.1 innings.