SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Junior Rachel Monser hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Skidmore College softball team a 9-6 win as the Thoroughbreds went on to sweep visiting RIT on Senior Day after a 6-2 win in game two.
 
Following the day's action, Skidmore honored its four seniors: Elle Harrison, Nate' Burley, Erin Gibbons, and Madison Bonham.
 
Game 1 – Skidmore 9, RIT 6 (8 inn.)

• With runners on first and second and one out in the eighth, Monser pulled an 0-1 pitch high and over the right-field fence to win it for the Thoroughbreds. It was her second home run of the year and got her to 20 RBI.
• The Thoroughbreds faced a 5-2 deficit after an inning and a half, but Skidmore pitcher Mallory Allen found her rhythm to keep the Tigers off the board
• Allen went the distance for her ninth win of the year. She allowed only two earned runs on 10 hits with a walk and a strikeout.
• After three unearned RIT runs in the first, Skidmore got two back in the bottom of the inning with a two-out rally. Monser got it going with a single before back-to-back doubles from Natalie Mayne and Nate' Burley scored a pair.
• The visitors got them right back, as Taryn Jones tripled in a pair with two outs to make it 5-2 in the second.
• It remained that way until the fourth. Elle Harrison walked to lead off, stole second, and scored on a Sam Waters single up the middle. She later scored to make it a one-run game with some shifty base running on a Monser ground out back to the pitcher.
• Allen had a six-pitch fifth, and then Skidmore rallied again with two outs to take the lead, 6-5, on a Waters two-RBI double.
• RIT (11-19, 2-8 Liberty League) found the equalizer again in the sixth when a ball got away in the infield.
• Only one batter reached combined from then until the bottom of the eighth, when Elle Harrison smacked a single to lead off for Skidmore. Harrison reached base all four times and stole a pair of bases.  Waters then had an infield hit, her third of the game, before a failed sacrifice bunt attempt send Monser to the plate with one away.
• Skidmore had six extra-base hits, including triples from Delaney swain and Cortney Somsky.

 
Game 2 – Skidmore 6, RIT 2

• Mayne shut out the Tigers over the final six innings as she improved to 5-2 in the circle. Only one of her first-inning runs allowed were earned. She walked two and struck out four as each of the 10 hits she allowed were singles.
• Three Skidmore errors led to a pair of RIT runs in the first, but Skidmore plated one in the second and another in the third to tie it up.
• Mayne led off the second with a double and scored on the next pitch when Burley laid down a bunt and reached on an errant throw.
• In the third, Harrison singled, stole second, and scored on an error to tie it up.
• Skidmore (17-15, 4-6) took the lead in the fourth without the strength of a hit as it plated a pair of unearned runs.
• The Thoroughbreds completed the scoring in the sixth, as Mayne and Burley singled before a Somsky RBI ground out and a Caitlyn Dion run-scoring single.
• Mayne had two of Skidmore's seven hits and scored three runs. Burley scored twice.
• Kate Carlone went 4-for-4 for RIT.

 
UP NEXT
Skidmore will play its final non-league games on Thursday at MCLA before hosting Clarkson next Saturday, March 25 for its home finale.