SCHENECTADY, NY -- Junior Aimee Palleschi had a game tying homer and later a game winning single to lead the Union College softball team to a 7-6, eight inning win over The Sage Colleges at Alexander Field Thursday. The Gators won the nightcap, 4-1. and are now 16-15 while the Dutchwomen stand 10-17.

Palleschi hit a two run homer, her third HR of the season, to left center in the bottom of the seventh to tie the contest at 5-5. In the eighth, with Union tied at 6-6 with two outs, she singled to left to bring home Kristin Schmidt for the game winning RBI. Palleschi had three hits with her three RBIs in the opener, and Allyson Staats also had three hits for Union. Alyssa Wolejko earned her fifth win of the season, allowing three earned runs and striking out 11 in eight innings.

Kelsey Newberg, Hilllary Faas and Courtney Laughlin each had two hits for the Gators, while Katie Kovage took the loss despite striking out eight batters in her 7 2/13 innings of work. Kristen Beikirch led off the game wit her fourth homer of the season, and the Gators led 4-0 after three, as Laughlin had an RBI double in that inning. Union scored three in the bottom of the fifth, as Palleschi had a two run single followed by an RBI single by Wolejko. A sacrifice fly by Jennifer Onwe in the sixth gave the Gators a 5-3 lead, which held up until Palleschi's tying homer in the seventh. In the top of the eighth, the Gators scored an unearned run on a throwing error and led 6-5 into the eighth. Schmidt drove home Molly O'Brien with an RBI single to tie the game, and after two strikeouts, Palleschi then completed her big game with the game winning hit to left.

In the nightcap, senior pitcher Kesley Newberg was the story for Sage. She gave up just three hits and one run en route to her sixth win of the spring. After allowing a leadoff single in the first and a two out walk in that inning, Newberg retired the next 17 batters including the first out of the seventh. Allyson Staats drove home Joanna Chalifoux with a sacrifice fly for the lone Dutchwomen run in the seventh. 

Sage scored twice in the first with an RBI double by Faas and an RBI single by Karlie Williams. They added another in the second as Newberg drove in a run with a single, and Williams had her second RBI single of the day in the fifth. Staats took the loss for Union, giving up two earned runs and seven hits while posting six strikeouts.

Union returns to Liberty League play this weekend with twinbills at Rochester Saturday and at RIT Sunday. Sage is back home on Saturday to host the College of Mt. St. Vincent at 1 p.m. for a Skyline League doubleheader.