ALBANY, NY – After RPI scored eight runs in the sixth inning, Union came back with eight runs in the seventh for a remarkable and stunning 12-11 victory over the Engineers in the Liberty League Softball Tournament at Cathy Cummings Haker Field at the Plumeri Sports Complex Saturday. 

Box Score

The Dutchwomen, 18-23 overall, advance to Sunday's championship round against Rochester at 10 a.m. Union, 2-0 in the tourney, can win the title with a win in that game or there will be a final game after that contest. Rochester defeated RPI later on Saturday, 8-2 in an elimination game to advance to Sunday's championship round.

Amanda Blake got the win, her fourth, in 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing one hit. She also had two of Union's 15 hits. Rachel Noall had four hits and two RBIs, Nina Cervini had two hits, including a homer, and three RBIs, and Alyssa Wolejko had two hits and drove in two.

Sara Heller had four hits and three RBIs for the Engineers. McCarthy had three RBIs for RPI while Felicia Bua, the third of three RPI pitchers, took the loss to fall to 8-6.

RPI took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Kelly Erkert was hit by a pitch and was bunted over to second. After a strikeout, all the damage was done with two outs. Bach singled to left to drive in Erkert and went to third on a wild pitch. After a Sara Heller infield single drove in Bach, Charlene Osmanski doubled to right center for a 3-0 Engineer lead.

The Dutchwomen came back with two in the second. Wolejko singled to left and after a strikeout, Nina Cervini blasted her second homer of the season over the left field fence to make it a 3-2 game. It was only the sixth homer allowed by Bach this season.

With the lead, Wolejko settled down and allowed just three singles from the second through the fifth innings. Charlene Osmanski relieved Bach in the fourth. Union had a chance to add to the lead in the sixth with the bases loaded and two down, but Osmanski induced an infield ground out to end the threat.

In the bottom of the sixth, Sara Heller led off with a double that hit the top of the left field fence, just missing a homer. Osmanski singled off Wolejko's glove for a first and third with none out. Osmanski stole second, but Woljeko struck out the next batter and Caitlin McGivern  grounded out to first unassisted. But Sarah Paulding hit a one-and-one pitch to right center that brought in both the two runs and gave RPI a 5-4 lead. After a single by Erkert and a walk to Jen Shields, Gillian McCarthy cleared the bases with a double to left center for an 8-4 advantage. Bach singled to left for the 9-4 lead. Heller then homered just inside the left field foul pole for an 11-4 lead. Amanda Blake relieved and after Osmanski doubled to left center, Blake got a ground out to short to end the inning that produced eight runs on eight hits.

Remarkably, the Dutchwomen scored eight runs in the top of the seventh to regain the lead 12-11. With one out, Blake reached on an error, Samantha Chevalier singled and Wolejko walked. Callee Heywood reached on a fielder's choice as Blake beat the tag at the plate. Cervini singled in Chevalier and Grocnziak had a fielder's choice but Wolejko was safe at the plate to make it 11-7. Carson Mehl also had an infield fielder's choice and Heywood was out at the plate for the second out. But Lauren Hoffman had a two run double and then Noall had a double to center to drive in two more for the 11-11 tie. Blake singled to left and Noall went to third then scored on a wild pitch for the 12-11 lead. The Dutchwomen later had runners at first and third but a pop out to first ended an inning that featured 13 batters, eight runs, five hits and two errors.

Blake now had a lead entering the seventh. She got McGivern to fly out to center and Paulding to fly to left. Then Erkert hit a comebacker to Blake and the Dutchwomen had a memorable victory that sent them into the championship round Sunday.