UTICA, N.Y. – Offense fueled the Skidmore College softball team to a non-conference split with host Utica late Monday afternoon at the Greenman Softball Field. The Thoroughbreds fell in a nine-inning game to the Pioneers 7-6, then erupted for a 14-5, six-inning victory in game two.
Skidmore's record now stands at 14-20, while Utica is 14-18.
Game one had its fair share of twists and turns. Utica turned a two-out rally in the first inning to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Skidmore chipped away at the deficit throughout. A sac fly from
Lauren Fortunato scored Skidmore's first run in the third, and a
Heather Mak two-out, RBI single in the fourth cut the original deficit in half. In the bottom of the frame, Utica added a run to make it 5-3, but the Thoroughbreds got two more in the top of the fifth to make it 5-4.
Karly Fishkin hit an RBI double, then
Emily Popp drove Fishkin home with a one-out, RBI single.
Utica took a two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth, before Skidmore put up a final rally in the seventh to send the game into extras for the first time this season.
Lizette Roman-Johnston and
Lauren Fortunato got on with singles, setting the table for
Kristina Foley with two outs. Foley delivered, hitting a RBI double to tie the game at six. Skidmore had runners in scoring position with one out in the top of the ninth, but Utica pitcher Brittany Meka forced consecutive pop ups to end the threat. Utica won the game in the bottom of the frame on a fielder's choice by Hayley Fredericks.
Skidmore recorded 12 hits in the contest. Roman-Johnston and Fishkin each tallied three hits, with Fortunato and Mak each recording a pair of hits.
Amanda Carilli (9-11) pitched 8.1 innings, striking out three batters and allowing seven earned runs. Her counterpart, Meka (10-6) allowed five earned and struck out four batters in the victory.
It was Skidmore who struck first in game two, getting a run from a heady base running effort from Fishkin. Fortunato walked and stole second to surprise the Pioneers defense, while Fishkin stole home to get the run. In the next inning, Roman-Johnston struck a two-RBI single to give Skidmore the 3-0 lead. The Thoroughbreds were not finished. Fortunato scored
Maddie Nelson on the sac fly, then Foley knocked a two-RBI hit of her own to make it 6-0. Popp finished off the six-run inning, helping her own cause with a RBI single to left field.
Utica broke its drought in the bottom of the third with a run, before Skidmore responded on Popp's second RBI of the game, taking an 8-1 lead in the fourth. The Pioneers scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 8-3, but Skidmore put the game away with another six-run inning in the sixth. The first five Skidmore batters, Fortunato, Foley, Popp,
Jill Strileckis,
Mary Farrington, reached base to begin the inning, with Foley and Strileckis driving in runs to make it 10-3. An error from Utica at the next at-bat scored Popp from third, then Nelson hit a two-run single to make it 12-2. Fishkin capped off the rally with an RBI on a fielder's choice, scoring Mak.
Utica tried to rally in the bottom of the frame with two additional runs, but Popp ended the threat in the circle, forcing a fly out to Fortunato in center to end the game in six.
Popp (5-9) earned the victory, allowing three earned runs in six innings. On offense, the Thoroughbreds tallied season highs with 14 runs and 16 hits. Foley led the way with a 3-for-4 performance, driving in three runs. Popp and Roman-Johnston each tallied three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Nelson drove in a pair of runs on one hit, while Fortunato and Strileckis tallied two hits with an RBI. Fishkin drove in a run and stole three bases.
Alyssa Samborin (1-3) took the loss for Utica, giving up six earned in 1.2 innings. Sabrina Stransky and Shannon Cool combined to give up six earned in 4.1 innings, striking out six batters.
The Thoroughbreds will next host Hamilton for a pair of games at Wagner Park. Game one of the doubleheader will begin at 3:30 p.m.
