SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - After falling in game one of their doubleheader to #18 Rensselaer, 11-0, the Union College softball team responded impressively in game two of the Saturday series to pick up their first win of the season and hand the 20-win and nationally-ranked Engineers their first loss of the season, 4-3.
Game One: Rensselaer 11, Union 0 (5 innings)
Rensselaer used a three inning offensive barrage to overwhelm Union to open the day. The Engineers got all 11 runs and 11 hits in the first, fourth, and fifth innings, scoring three runs on three hits in the first before adding four runs on four base knocks in the fourth and fifth frames.
Union's offense didn't provide much of a response, getting just three base runners in the first four innings before sophomore
Haley Gibbons notched Union's first hit with a single in the fifth. A fielder's choice and double play would wipe out her hit however, as the Garnet Chargers would drop game one in five innings.
Game Two: Union 4, Rensselaer 3
The back half would prove to be a much more different story, as after Rensselaer took an early lead, Union would respond and be the side to take the offensive in game two.
The visitors picked up right where they left off from their game one win, manufacturing a first inning run with a single, sacrifice bunt to move the runner over, and another single to drive the runner in.
Union wasted no time putting together a response. Junior
Riley Callahan led off the home half of the inning with a double over the center fielder's head, and classmate
Tatum Perkins drove her in with a single through the left side to bring the game right back even.
Rensselaer struck back with another run in the top of the second, but again, Union responded in their next at-bats. First-Year
Sam Rose led off with a liner of a single up the middle, and after moving up to second on a sacrifice two-strike swinging bunt by classmate
Sophia Gomes, came around to score on a single from fellow first-year
Maddy Ewald.
After junior Mel Kappel put up a zero in the top of the third, Union continued their offensive success into the home half. Another leadoff hit, this time a double off the left-center field fence from junior
Nahnny Sobetzko, put an early runner on base for the hosts. Two batters later, Perkins followed with a double of her own to drive in Sobetzko and give Union the lead, and Gibbons continued the hit parade with a single to score Perkins and bring the lead to two.
Kappel continued to hold her own on the mound into the later innings. Rensselaer put runners on with no more than one out in both the fourth and fifth innings, but the Greenville native stranded all three Rensselaer runners. The Engineers did get one back in the sixth, but a perfect throw from Sobetzko behind the plate caught Ryleigh Falvey stealing to end the inning.
Kappel bounced back beautifully in the seventh, getting three consecutive ground outs to end the game and close out the victory for the Garnet Chargers.
The nine hit game was a collective offensive effort, as seven Union batters put notches in the hit column. Perkins and Rose were the two to tally multi-hit games, with Perkins also adding two runs batted in and a run scored to her name and Rose a handful of stellar defensive plays at shortstop. Gibbons went 3-for-5 across the doubleheader with the game-winning hit in game two.
Kappel went the distance in game two after throwing 3.2 innings in the opener. The junior allowed nine hits, three runs (two earned), but didn't walk a batter, struck out two, and buckled down when she needed to in the complete game victory.
After Union had their doubleheader against Skidmore pushed back two days thanks to inclement weather, the Garnet Chargers and Thoroughbreds have again readjusted their Sunday slate due to the Sunday afternoon forecast. First pitch for game one of the doubleheader has been moved up to 10:30 a.m. at Alexander Field.
