Softball | 5/6/2011 5:52:33 PM

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ITHACA, NY - The RIT softball team (22-11) kept its championship hopes alive after trouncing Stevens (21-19), 10-0 in five innings in game three of the double-elimination Empire 8 Tournament held at Kostrinsky Field on Friday afternoon.  The Tigers will play Ithaca in an elimination game on Saturday at 11 a.m.

RIT scored a run in the second, then took advantage of some miscues by Stevens to score six in the fourth, and three more times in the fifth inning.

Emily Courtney (Berlin, CT/Kingswood-Oxford)'s run-scoring single plated Brittany Griffin (Sterling, VA/Park View ) with the game's first run in the top of the second inning.  It was just the start of a big game for Courtney, who finished 4-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of runs batted in.

In the fourth, Courtney doubled in Megan O'Connell, then scored on a single by Tori Nadow (Charlton, MA/Shepherd Hill).  Two more runs scored on a Stevens throwing error, then Griffin doubled in a pair of runs to make it 7-0.

Senior hurler Carlissa Cole (Alden, NY/Alden) earned her ninth straight victory, allowing just a bunt single in the fourth inning, while striking out six batters for her fourth shutout of the season.  Cole is 9-0 with a 0.94 earned run average and 0.91 WHIP over her last 11 appearances. Overall, she is 13-3 with a 1.79 ERA.

Nadow was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI, while Griffin drove in two.

Earlier today, RIT lost to St. John Fisher, 6-3, while Stevens lost to top-seed Ithaca, 4-3 in 13 innings.