CANTON, NY -- The St. Lawrence softball team swept the Union Dutchwomen in its final home games of the 2016 season; snapping a six-game slide with a 3-2 win in the first game and capping off the day with a 12-9 win in the second. With its first conference sweep, St. Lawrence improves to 10-15 overall and 3-5 in Liberty League games. Union falls to 7-13 overall on the year.
In game one, first-year Ellie Gray hit a two-run home run to straightaway center in the fifth inning – to help the Saints come from behind. She drove in all three runs for St. Lawrence in the opener. Additionally, fellow rookie Allie Courtwright struck out eight batters on the day in the complete game win; her third of the year, as she allowed two runs on six hits. In the third inning, Gray put the Saints in front 1-0 with an RBI double to left field. Union took the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth on RBI singles by
Joanna Chalifoux and Dana Ditizio to make it 2-1 in favor of the visitors.
But in the bottom of the fifth with one out, Kylee Knight singled up the middle to put a runner on for Gray who drilled a shot over the wall in center field to put St. Lawrence in front for good at 3-2. Dolinko allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out a batter. Chalifoux had two of Union's hits.
In the second game, Union scored three runs in the top of the first inning off starter Hannah Sears before she was relieved by Emma Gailey, who would pick up the win in six and two-thirds innings of work, allowing 11 hits and six runs while striking out six. In the first,
Courtney Casey had an RBI double and Union scored two other runs on fielder's choices.
Down 3-0, St. Lawrence answered with six in their half of the first inning on three hits and three errors by the Union defense. Mylea Mann drove in two runs with a double, before scoring the Saints third run on an RBI single by Courtwright. Also in the inning, Knight beat out a throw with an RBI single to third base, making it 6-3 Saints heading into the second.
Union added four runs in the next two innings, to take a 7-6 lead through two and a half, with RBI singles by Casey and
Kara Brown along with an RBI double by Ditizio highlighting the offense. But a five-run third for St. Lawrence would prove to be the difference. Gray worked an RBI bases loaded walk to tie the game at 7-7 and Reakes followed with a two RBI single to center field; though three runs came across on the play with Gray taking home after an errant throw for the Saints tenth run. Muprhy had an RBI single that drove in Reakes to round out the inning. In the fifth Gray, as she doubled down the left field line to score Knight.
Union would score a run in both the sixth and seventh innings, on a sacrifice fly by Dolinko and an RBI single by Brown.
Four players had two RBIs each for Union, and Brown had four hits while Casey and Ditizio had two each. Starter
Dani Hennel gave up seven hits in five innings and struck out six.
Union plays a non-league doubleheader Tuesday at SUNY Oneonta at 3:30 p.m.
