SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The Skidmore College softball team clinched a Liberty League playoff berth with a 6-5 win over Rensselaer in the second game of a league doubleheader Saturday at Wagner Park. RPI won the first game 15-3.
 
The Thoroughbreds finish the regular season at 16-22 overall and 6-6 in the league. The tournament pairings will be decided after Sunday's doubleheader between Rochester and St. Lawrence.  Skidmore will be the third seed. The Engineers (27-9, 9-3) will be the first or second seed.
 
In the first game, Skidmore got on the board in the first inning with solo home runs from Dani DeGregory and Lauren Fortunato. RPI starter Stephanie Caudle settled down after that, retiring the next 10 Skidmore batters and allowing only one additional run in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Meanwhile, RPI scored an unearned run in the third before blowing the game open with seven in the fourth and seven more in the fifth for the 15-3 final.
 
DeGregory finished 2-3. Amanda Carilli (12-14) took the loss, allowing nine runs (two earned) over four innings. She struck out four and had no walks.
 
Caudle was 3-4 with a two-run home run. She improved to 13-4, allowing three runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Danielle Balestrini 1-4 with a three-run home run. Taylor Ten Eyck was 3-4 with three RBI and two runs.
 
In the second game, RPI jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Devan Puhl tripled in the first and scored on ground out. The Engineers added an unearned run in the second.
 
The Thoroughbreds took advantage of two RPI errors in the bottom of the second to score three runs and take a 3-2 lead.
 
The Engineers went back in front 5-3 with three runs in the fourth, keyed by a two-run triple from Victoria Greco. Skidmore tied it in its half of the fourth with an RBI single from Cassie Fishkin and an RBI hit by pitch by Kristina Foley.
 
The Thoroughbreds scored the go ahead run in the fifth when DeGregory reached on a fielders choice then scored on a Karly Fishkin two-out double that fall between outfielders.
 
Carilli (13-14) pitched out of trouble in the sixth and seventh to earn the win.  Lauren Fortunato was 2-3 with and RBI and May-Lin McEvoy was 2-4 with a run.
 
Greco was 2-4 with two RBI for RPI. Taylor Ten Eyck was 2-4 with an RBI. Victoria Hepworth (8-3) went 4.2 innings, allowing six runs (three earned) on eight hits, five walks and two hit batters. Caudle came on for 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.