CLERMONT, FL – The RIT softball team (2-4) snapped a three-game losing streak, picking up a 10-5 victory against Oberlin (0-10) to pick up the split at Hancock Field Park on Monday. Earlier in the day, the Tigers fell to The College of Saint Benedict (6-1), 11-3 in six innings of play.
The College of Saint Benedict offense racked up 13 hits in the early afternoon contest, limiting the Tigers to just five hits. Despite this, RIT mounted a 3-run third inning while trailing by a run on a heads-up play.
Alexa Farner (Gowanda, NY/Gownanda) drove in a run to get the Tigers on the board. She then scored from second on a passed ball with
Emily Lazarus (Whitehall, PA/Allentown Catholic) at third. From there, Saint Benedict responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame, three runs in the fourth, and five runs in the sixth inning to force the mercy rule after 6 innings.
The Tigers also bounced back from an early deficit in the second game against Oberlin. After Oberlin began the game with three runs,
Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) helped to silence the Oberlin bats. Valentine pitched a complete game, striking out nine batters on two earned runs, picking up the victory. On offense, a throwing miscue at shortstop put the Tigers on the board in the bottom of the first. RIT tied the game in the next inning.
McKenzie Martin (Deposit, NY/Deposit) drove in two runs on an RBI double, and
Danielle Hotz (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) singled in Martin to tie the game at 4. The Tigers then added a run in the third to take the lead, with Martin reaching on a fielding error to left field.
After Oberlin tied the game with a run in the top of the fourth, as a Cook grounder scored Hotz with one out. The next inning, RIT exploded for three runs to put the contest out of reach. With
Laura Weintraub (Syosset, NY/Syosset) and
Sam Killian (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) on the corners, RIT executed the double steal, with Killian scoring at the plate. Then, after Weintraub stole third, and scored on a passed throw along with Sara Thayer. The Tigers then tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, with
Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) singled up the middle to score Cook.
Hotz led the Tigers in game two, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Martin tallied three runs batted in, going 1-for-3. Killian added two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers, who tallied 11 hits.
The Tigers will take on Lawrence and Kalamazoo College in a doubleheader on Tuesday, starting at 9 a.m.
