ROCHESTER, NY – Despite two strong pitchers duels, the RIT softball team (3-13, 0-4 Liberty League) came up on the short end of both, falling to Liberty League foe Union (7-10, 2-2 Liberty League) by scores of 3-0 and 1-0 on a sunny and seasonably warm Sunday afternoon at Tiger Stadium.
 
Union pitcher Alyson Staats threw 15 scoreless innings on the day, accounting for both wins, allowing 11 hits, while not walking a batter. She fired 219 pitches on the afternoon, while improving to 7-6 in 2015.
 
In game one, Union's Allyson Staats and RIT's Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) hooked up in a good battle on the mound. Union would take advantage of a RIT error in the second inning to lead 1-0 on a single by Linsay Cohen.
 
RIT would threaten throughout, with several good chances, but could not push the tying run across. Union would add a run in the sixth on a run scoring single from Staats and an unearned run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Laura Aptowitz.
 
RIT's Alexa Farner (Gowanda, NY/Gownanda) would make arguably the defensive play of the year in the seventh, scaling the left field fence to take a home run away from Dani Hennel, and doubling up the runner on third who was ruled left early on attempted tag up.
 
Staats was brilliant, scattering five hits, while striking out two and walking none, firing 102 pitches in the complete-game effort. Valentine was excellent for RIT, allowing just five hits and one earned run, while striking out a season-high 10 batters with zero walks. She needed just 101 pitches.
 
In game two, Staats and Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) matched zeroes for seven innings, before Hennel doubled down the left field line with two outs in the top of the eighth and scored on a single to right by Courtney Casey.
 
Staats scattered six hits and struck out six in a 117-pitch complete game, while Mahar equaled Valentine with a career-best 10 strikeouts, allowing just four hits and one walk in her 118-pitch complete game.
 
Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) was 2-for-4 with a double, while Alexandria Lunderman (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) also doubled for the Tigers. Hennel was 2-for-4 with a double and run scored for the Dutchwomen.
 
Union leads the all-time series between the two schools, 13-6 and has won the last four meetings, all by shutout. RIT has not scored a run over its last 18 innings.

RIT is right back in action with a doubleheader against Liberty League foe St. Lawrence on Wednesday afternoon, starting at 2 p.m.