Skidmore (8-14, 0-0 Liberty League) vs RIT (13-6, 0-0 Liberty League)
Game Details: Saturday, April 8 | 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Location: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Wagner Park
Game Links: Stats
Skidmore: Roster | Statistics
RIT: Roster | Statistics
 
Skidmore (8-14, 0-0 Liberty League) vs Rochester (10-6, 0-0 Liberty League)
Game Details: Sunday, April 9 | 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Location: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Wagner Park
Game Links: Stats
Skidmore: Roster | Statistics
Rochester: Roster | Statistics
 
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College softball team begins Liberty League play this weekend with home doubleheaders against RIT and Rochester. The Thoroughbreds will begin on Saturday with two games against RIT beginning at 1 p.m. and will wrap up the weekend with Rochester in a rematch of the 2016 Liberty League Championship game, also beginning at 1 p.m.
 
Skidmore enters league play with an 8-14 record overall through 22 games. The Thoroughbreds have gone 2-2 this week, first sweeping Southern Vermont at home on Monday, then dropping a pair of contests at Williams on Wednesday.
 
The Thoroughbreds have been active on the base paths this season, leading the league with 34 stolen bases. Lauren Fortunato leads the group and the Liberty League with 14 stolen bases in 14 attempts. In the circle, Skidmore pitchers Amanda Carilli and Emily Popp have done a great job of limiting walks to opposing hitters. Carilli is fifth in the league, allowing just nine walks in 10 starts this year, while Popp has allowed 14 walks in 11 starts. Carilli is also fourth in the league with five victories so far, posting a 5-5 record with two shutouts to her name.
 
At the plate, Fortunato is enjoying another strong statistical season, leading the league in triples (4), walks (13), and runs scored (21), all while batting .429 and reaching base 53 percent of the time. Lizette Roman-Johnston has been a steadying presence in the Thoroughbred lineup, hitting .333 with 10 runs batted in in 20 games and Popp has driven in 12 runs while batting .295.
 
RIT comes into the weekend with a 13-6 record after splitting a pair of games with The College at Brockport on Wednesday. Pitching is the name of the game with the Tigers, as they lead the league with an impressive 1.94 team ERA. RIT also bats .313 as a team, second in the league.
 
RIT trots out three pitchers that are among the league leaders statistically. Lauren Mahar is fourth with a 1.76 ERA in 51.2 innings, going 5-3. Sierra Valentine has a 2.16 ERA and has a 5-2 record, leading the team with 46 strikeouts. Torie Adler has a 3-1 record with a 1.91 ERA in seven appearances and four starts.
 
At the plate, Erin Guinan leads the team with a .433 batting average in 67 plate appearances, driving in 14 runs and slugging .582. Alexandria Lunderman leads the team in RBIs with 15 and slugging percentage (.558), batting .404.
 
Last season, Skidmore and RIT split a pair of games in Rochester on April 17. RIT won the opener 1-0, but Skidmore came back in game two on homers by Karly Fishkin and Mary Farrington to take the 5-2 victory.
 
Rochester, the defending league champions, come into the weekend with a 10-6 record. The Yellowjackets will face Clarkson for a pair of contests in Potsdam on Monday after heading down to Saratoga Springs on Sunday. On Wednesday, Rochester dropped a pair of games to Cortland, who are receiving votes in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Coaches Poll.
 
As a team, Rochester is second in the league with a 2.22 ERA and third with a .307 team batting average. Individually, Rochester is led at the plate by Shelby Corning, who has a .386 batting average with six RBIs. Lydia Petricca is right behind with a .382 batting average in 55 plate appearances. Rachel Pletz and Jocelynn Blackshear are the main run producers for the Yellowjackets as they share the team lead with 13 RBIs. Blackshear supplies the power with her three homers.
 
On the pitching end, Eleni Wechsler has a 1.99 ERA and a 6-2 record in 10 appearances and 56.1 innings, while Sam Malecki has a 3-4 record with a team-leading 1.72 ERA in eight appearances.
 
Last season, third-seeded Skidmore and top-seeded Rochester met with a Liberty League Championship at stake. Rochester, facing elimination with a loss after falling to Skidmore 5-0, took both elimination games to win the league title on May 6-7 in Rochester.