TROY, N.Y. – The Skidmore College softball team dropped a pair of tight contests to Liberty League-leading RPI, at Robison Field on a warm Sunday afternoon. Skidmore fell 3-2 in nine innings in game one, and 5-2 in game two.
Skidmore falls to 15-17 overall and 2-8 in league action. RPI improves to 11-1 and 21-7 overall.
The Thoroughbreds came out swinging against the defending league champions, getting on the board after a bases-loaded RBI single from
Kristina Foley in the first inning. That lead would last until the sixth inning, when RPI took a 2-1 lead on a Cam Caswell RBI triple and a Christine White RBI single. With its backs to the wall, Skidmore would manufacture the tying run in the seventh, as
Karly Fishkin hit a sacrifice fly to left field, with
Maddie Nelson tagging and scoring from third.
Later on in the inning, Skidmore would have a chance to take the lead on an RPI error, but the Engineers tagged out a charging
Heather Mak at home to end the threat. Skidmore would have another run in scoring position in the ninth, but RPI pitcher Sarah Harms (14-4) forced a pair of fly outs to end the threat. In the bottom of the frame RPI would win it on a two-out RBI triple.
Amanda Carilli (12-9) took the hard-earned loss, allowing three earned on five hits, striking out three over 8.2 innings. Skidmore would tally 10 hits in game one, led by
Lizette Roman-Johnston's 3-for-5 performance.
Harms pitched nine innings for RPI, allowing two earned and striking out four.
Game two saw RPI take the 1-0 lead after one, but Skidmore would battle back to tie things, as Fishkin took a 1-0 pitch up the middle for the RBI single, scoring Nelson. In the fifth, Skidmore would again take the lead on RPI, as
Adrianna Garcia singled up the middle, scoring Roman-Johnston. The Engineers would battle back, taking the lead (3-2) on a two-run fifth, adding a pair of insurance runs in the sixth for the 5-2 score.
Skidmore would tally six hits in game two, as Roman-Johnston once again led the team with a pair of hits in a 2-for-4 performance. Foley, Garcia, Fishkin, and
Hannah Paolucci also tallied a hit. Carilli (12-10) struck out two over six innings.
Veronica DeStefano went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead RPI, who have won eight in a row. Jamie Cleasby (7-3) allowed two earned, striking out seven over seven innings pitched.
Skidmore will next host No. 19 Williams in an afternoon doubleheader at Wagner Park on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
