TROY, NY -- Freshman pitcher Ginny Sack (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills) allowed five hits and pitched her sixth shutout of the season to lead Union to a 4-0 win over Alfred in the 2007 ECAC Division III Upstate Softball Championshop Tournament Saturday at RPI's Robison Field. Shortstop Michelle Rogers (Clarence, NY/Clarence) had three hits and first baseman Megan Kaknis (New Windsor, NY/NFA) blasted her 14th homer of the year to lift the Dutchwomen (27-9). Alfred falls to 22-15.
Union will play for the ECAC title Sunday at 12 p.m. in the championship round against either Alfred or RPI. The Saxons face the host Red Hawks at 10 a.m. in an elimination game. Should the Dutchwomen lose the game at noon, they will play in the winner-take-all title game at 2 p.m.
Sack improved to 11-2 on the year and induced 17 ground outs in the 21 outs by Alfred while striking out one. Union won with 12 hits, and had left nine on base through the first three innings, (11 total). The Dutchwomen scored just one run in the first three innings, that coming in the first on a bases loaded RBI single to left by catcher Catherine Kielb (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia). Union added another run in the fourth when Rogers scored on an infield throwing error off a fielder's choice.
Kaknis hit her 14th homer in the sixth. It was a two-run, one-out liner over the left field fence with Rogers on base. Kaknis and Kielb each had two hits for the Dutchwomen, as did freshman third baseman Ashley Kovack (Ridgfield, CT/Ridgefield).
Alfred's Ilana Price was the losing pitcher, giving up 12 hits and three walks with three earned runs. All five Saxon hits were singles.
Kaknis is two home runs shy of the Union career record, accomplished in only two seasons. She has 16 career homers, two shy of Julie Gawronski's Union record set last spring. Kaknis is only the second Dutchwoman to have 60 or more hits in a season, and her 62 leaves her three shy of the record set by Abby Arceneaux last year. Rogers has 58 hits this season, two shy of joining the 60-hit single season club.
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