SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--- The Union College softball team swept Skidmore College Sunday to earn the #3 seed in the Liberty League Tournament. Union had a five run fifth inning to come back for a 7-6 win in the opener, and took the second contest 7-3. Union is 13-18 and finished 7-5 in the Liberty League regular season while Skidmore is 14-18 and went 5-7 in the league.
Camille Corbin and
Allyson Staats had big days as Corbin hit a grand slam homer in the first game and Staats got both pitching victories. Union is the tourney's #3 seed and will open play Thursday vs. #2 RPI at the University of Rochester. The Thoroughbreds grabbed the final league playoff spot over St. Lawrence and will play at top seed Rochester Thursday in the double elimination tournament. The Thoroughbreds tied St. Lawrence for fourth, but advance by going 1-1 with first place Rochester. The Saints lost twice to the Yellowjackets on Sunday.
In the first game, Lauren Fortunato gave Skidmore a quick 2-0 lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, but Union answered back with two runs in the top of the second.
Kelly Breslauer drew a bases-loaded walk and
Lindsay Cohen later scored on an error to tie it at 2-2. The Thoroughbreds restored their two-run lead in the bottom of the fourth on a Cassie Fishkin two-run single. Fortunato reached with a walk and advanced to third as Casey Attonoito singled through the side right. After Attonito stole second, Fishkin delivered the bases-clearing single.
Dani DeGregory pushed the Skidmore lead to four in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run shot, roping the first pitch she saw over the fence in right-center to make it 6-2. However, the Dutchwomen fired back with five runs in the top of the fifth to take their first lead of the game. With the bases loaded, Corbin belted a pitch down the right field line to knot the game at 6-6. Union added another run as Mackenzie Michel scored on an error.
Skidmore threatened in the bottom of the sixth, but Dutchwomen leftfielder Bri Godlewski made a sensational defensive play to keep the visitors in front. After Shea got on base with an infield single, DeGregory smacked a line drive to left-center, but Godlewski covered her ground quickly before stretching across her body to record the out and deny the extra-base hit. Fortunato singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh but was caught stealing on the Thoroughbreds second strikeout of the inning to end of the game.
Fortunato finished 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while DeGregory went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Amanda Carilli went the distance on the mound, allowing seven runs (four earned) on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Staats notched the complete-game win for the Dutchwomen, surrendering six earned runs on 12 hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
The second game was more of the same for Union, with Staats getting another complete game win and Corbin going 3-3 with three RBI, a double and her seventh home run of the season. The Dutchwomen opened the game with three in the first on four consecutive hits and an error.
Joanna Chalifoux had an RBI double in the run. Corbin drilled a line drive two-run homer over the right field fence in the third to make it 5-0. Union tacked on a pair of unearned runs in the fifth to go up 7-0.
The Thoroughbreds got two back in their half of the fifth when Shea singled and scored on a DeGregory double that went off the fence in center. DeGregory would later score on a fielder's choice to make it 7-2. Skidmore plated one more in the sixth when Mai-Lin McEvoy reached on a pinch-hit single and later scored on a Shea single. Attonito was 3-4 with an RBI, while Shea and Lauren Gorstein had two hits each. Carilli went the distance again, allowing seven runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks. She struck out one. Staats helped herself out at the plate, going 2-4 with two runs. On the mound, she allowed three runs on 10 hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Union split the season series with RPI, 1-1, with both teams winning at Union's Alexander Field Saturday.
