CANTON, N.Y. - A three-run eighth inning capped an incredible comeback for the Union College softball team in game one of their doubleheader at St. Lawrence Saturday, as the Garnet Chargers defeated the Saints in game one, 12-9, before dropping game two, 4-2.
 
Union pounded out 25 hits on the afternoon, led by junior Tatum Perkins and first-year Sam Rose with five each to extend their career-long hit streaks to nine. Sophomore Ellie Wintringer also pushed her hit streak to nine that included the game-winning hit in game one, and eight Garnet Chargers brought runs in across the doubleheader.
 
Game One: Union 12, St. Lawrence 9 (8 innings)
 
Game one of the doubleheader featured a wild back-and-forth contest. Union took the game's first lead with a pair of runs in the second inning before St. Lawrence responded with seven unanswered to grab a 7-2 lead. Union tied the game with a five-spot in the top of the sixth, but St. Lawrence scored two in the home half to regain the lead. Union however tied the game in the top of the seventh before scoring three in the eighth to come away with the 12-9 win.
 
Junior Autumn Duff got the scoring started with her RBI single that scored Perkins and moved Rose up to second. A pair of wild pitches allowed Duff and Rose to move up a pair of bases, allowing Rose to cross home to make it 2-0.
 
St. Lawrence used four singles and a sacrifice fly to take a 3-2 lead in the third before getting three more run-scoring singles one inning later to extend their advantage to five.
 
Union struck back in the sixth. The first eight batters of the inning all reached safely, allowing sophomore Haley Gibbons to drive in a run before first-year Maddy Ewald and junior Riley Callahan each brought in a pair to tie the game at seven.
 
The Saints grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two-RBI single, but first-year Sophia Gomes lined one of her own into right with Union down to their final out to bring the game back even.
 
St. Lawrence threatened again in the bottom of the inning with the winning run on second base, but junior Melody Kappel made an impressive grab on the run in left-center to send the game into extras.
 
Union's bats stayed hot into the eighth. Doubles from Callahan and Wintringer gave the Garnet Chargers their first lead after coming all the way back, and singles from Perkins and Rose provided insurance.
 
The hosts got a leadoff single in the home half, but first-year Cassie Wiggins shut the door with a pop-out and a pair of strikeouts to finish off the comeback. The rookie matched her career-best with five strikeouts, from her complete game victory against MCLA, across her three innings of work and has now notched her first two collegiate wins in her last two decisions.
 
Union's 12 runs made it two games in a row the Garnet Chargers put a season-high dozen on the scoreboard, while their 16 hits were the most they've tallied in 2024. Perkins matched a career-high three hits for the second time in the last three games, while Rose's three base knocks tied the career-best she set in the season opener against Buffalo State. 
 
Game Two: St. Lawrence 4, Union 2
 
Union would be forced to play from behind again in the doubleheader as St. Lawrence raced out to a three-run lead in the first inning thanks to three consecutive one-out singles. Duff would be responsible for Union's response in the second, as the Burnt Hills native drove in Rose before scoring on Callahan's fielder's choice to bring the Garnet Chargers back within one.
 
That was as close as Union would get, as the visitors would leave at least one runner on in each inning the rest of the way while the Saints added a run back in the bottom of the third and held on to their 4-2 lead the rest of the way.
 
Perkins, Rose, Duff, and Kappel tallied two hits apiece with Perkins and Kappel each drawing a walk to reach a team-high three times. Kappel struck out six while allowing seven hits and three earned runs in the circle.
 
Union (6-16, 5-5) returns to home with a pair of home non-conference doubleheaders this week, as they're slated to host SUNY Oneonta on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. and VTSU-Castleton on Wednesday, also at 3:00 p.m.