CLERMONT, FL - The RIT softball team (1-3) went 1-1 on Sunday at the Dot Richardson Spring at the National Training Center. RIT fell to Carthage College (1-2) by a score of 8-0 in five innings. The Tigers, down 6-1 to Hamilton (4-5) in the top of the seventh inning with two outs in game two, roared back to score six times and pick up their first win of the season, 7-6.
McKenzie Martin (Deposit, NY/Deposit) led off the game with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Emma Sarles (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park). Hamilton would score the next six runs, four coming in the third inning and two more in the fifth to lead 6-1 as RIT came up in the seventh inning.
In the seventh, Martin led off with a single. After two pop ups,
Amanda Cook (Royal Palm Beach, FL/Suncoast) singled to left, giving RIT two runners on. A walk to
Sarah Wolcott (Cohocton, NY/Wayland-Cohocton) loaded the bases and a two-strike double by
Alexandria Lunderman (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) cleared the bases, making it a 6-4 game.
Sam Killian (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) would single to left, driving in Lunderman to make it a 6-5 game. After a base hit by
Amber Libby (Waterboro, ME/Massabesic) advanced Killian to second, both would move up on a wild pitch. Down to her final strike,
Katelyn Koester (Amherst, NY/St. Mary's School for the Deaf) would single up the middle, driving in both runners to give RIT the lead.
In the bottom of the inning, RIT would have to escape a leadoff double and one out single to get the win.
Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) earned her first collegiate win on the mound, scattering eight hits.
In the opener against Carthage, RIT could muster just one base runner in the five innings, as Sarles drew a two out walk in the second inning. On the mound,
Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) took the loss, allowing two earned runs in four plus innings of work.
RIT is right back in action on Monday, against Buffalo State College at 9 a.m. and Elmhurst College at 11 a.m. Both games are at the National Training Center.