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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College softball team is back in the Liberty League Tournament for an impressive fourth season in a row. The road to the Liberty League Championship and an automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III Championship Tournament begins on Thursday as the fourth-seeded Thoroughbreds take on top-seeded Rensselaer at Robinson Field in Troy, N.Y. at 2 p.m.
 
The league tournament is a double-elimination format. The Skidmore-RPI winner will play in on Friday at 10 a.m., with a chance to advance to the championship round. The loser will play in an elimination contest at 12:30 p.m. The second elimination game is at 3:00 p.m. The final two teams will play at 12 p.m. on Saturday and again right after if needed.
 
In the second semifinal, second seeded RIT (21-14, 8-4 Liberty League) will take on third-seeded Clarkson (20-16, 7-5 Liberty League) at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
 
The Thoroughbreds (19-21, 6-6 Liberty League) have come into the postseason on a hot streak, with a 4-2 record over the last six league games and a 7-3 record over the last 10, edging three-time defending champion Rochester and St. Lawrence in a three-way tie for fourth place. Last weekend, Skidmore split with Clarkson on Saturday and swept Union on Sunday to make the tourney field. Lauren Fortunato is one of the league's most feared hitters, leading the conference in hitting (.468), slugging percentage (.817), on-base percentage (.566), runs scored (38), doubles (13), triples (eight), and walks (29). Fortunato is currently sixth in all of Division III in triples, and is 28th in slugging percentage.
 
Lizette Roman-Johnston has had a strong 2017 for the Thoroughbreds, batting .371 on the season, with eight extra base hits and 19 RBIs. Kristina Foley leads the team with 35 RBIs, and she's batting .298. Foley has helped spur the Thoroughbred offense, driving in at least a run in each of the last 10 games, with 21 RBIs in that stretch. Karly Fishkin has also swung a hot bat recently, hitting .421 over the last six contests.
 
Pitchers Amanda Carilli and Emily Popp share the load in the circle for Skidmore. Carilli has a 13-12 record, with a 3.49 earned run average in 162 2/3 innings. Her 13 wins and 162 2/3 innings pitched both lead the league. Popp is 6-9 with a 4.71 earned run average in 93 innings pitched. Both have tallied 49 strikeouts on the year.
 
Rensselaer (23-12, 9-3 Liberty League) comes in as the regular season champion, and is 4-2 against the rest of the field with a sweep of Skidmore and splits against RIT and Clarkson. Stephanie Caudle is a dual threat for the Engineers, as she leads the conference with seven home runs and 38 RBIs, batting an even .400. Caudle has also been solid in the circle, going 12-4 with a 1.88 earned run average, adding three saves and 112 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings. Devan Puhl is second with a .358 batting average, adding 22 RBIs. The Engineers bat .312 as a team.
 
Joining Caudle on the Engineers pitching staff is Sarah Harms, who is 5-1 with a 3.02 earned run average, and Jaime Cleasby, who is 6-6 with a 3.25 earned run average.
 
RIT has earned a postseason berth for the second season in a row, coming in as the second seed. The Tigers are 4-2 against the rest of the field, having swept Skidmore and split against RPI and Clarkson. The Tigers are led on offense by Erin Guinan, who is hitting .437 with team-best totals of 52 hits, 30 runs scored, 10 doubles, four home runs, 25 runs batted in, 76 total bases, six stolen bases, a .477 on-base percentage, and .639 slugging percentage. Danielle Hotz (.370) and Tori Blaker (.306) are also solid contributors to the Tigers, who hit .284 as a team.
 
In the circle, Sierra Valentine, the league's reining Pitcher of the Year, has a 1.97 earned run average with 85 strikeouts in nearly 100 innings this year, going 9-6. Lauren Mahar (8-6, 2.08 ERA) and Torie Adler (4-2, 2.16 ERA) round out the Tigers pitching staff.
 
 
Clarkson, seeded third, is in the Liberty League Tournament for the first time in the program's brief history. The Golden Knights are 3-3 against the tournament field this season, splitting with all three teams. Jamie Bridge leads the Golden Knights with a .339 batting average to go along with a home run and 19 RBIs. She also gets in done in the circle, going 11-8 with a 2.46 earned run average, one save, and 101 strikeouts in 116 2/3 innings this season. Raeanna Dunn is right behind with a .333 average, while Michelle Winn leads Clarkson with seven home runs and 28 RBIs. Clarkson is hitting .294 as a team.
 
Clarkson occasionally hands the ball to Leah Allen, mostly in relief roles. This season, Allen is 4-3 with a 3.27 earned run average in 60 innings pitched. Maggie Stark (3-1, 4.25 ERA) and Katie Pelton (2-4, 5.53 ERA) round out the pitching staff.
 
This is the fifth appearance all time in the Liberty League Tournament for the Thoroughbreds. Last season, the Thoroughbreds defeated second seed RPI 4-1 in the first game and Rochester 5-0 in the second game to advance to the championship game for the first time in program history. Eventual champion Rochester bested the Thoroughbreds in the championship game on May 6, 2016, winning both games.
 
 
Liberty League Tournament Schedule
Games to be played at Doris Robison Field in Troy, N.Y.

Thursday, May 4, 2017
             2:00pm             Game 1             (RPI vs. Skidmore)
             4:30pm             Game 2             (RIT vs. Clarkson)
Friday, May 5, 2017
             10:00am           Game 3            Winner G1 v. Winner G2
             12:30pm           Game 4            Loser G1 v. Loser G2
             3:00pm             Game 5           Loser G3 v. Winner G4
Saturday, May 6, 2017
             12:00pm            Game 6           Winner G3 v. Winner G5
             2nd Game          Game 7           if needed – final game, same teams as Game 6