ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT softball team (17-21, 6-6 Liberty League) clinched its first ever Liberty League playoff berth, sweeping St. Lawrence University (14-19, 3-7 Liberty League) at sunny Tiger Stadium on Saturday afternoon. RIT will be the No. 4 seed in next weekend's Liberty League Tournament.
Between games, RIT honored seniors
Amanda Cook (Royal Palm Beach, FL/Suncoast),
McKenzie Martin (Deposit, NY/Deposit), and
Emily Shoemaker (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena).
In game one, RIT hurler
Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) and Allie Courtwright locked up in a pitcher's duel, as neither team would score over the first five innings.
In the bottom of the sixth, RIT would break through, scoring three times.
McKenzie Martin (Deposit, NY/Deposit) reached on a throwing error by Courtwright and
Emily Shoemaker (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) would beat out her sacrifice bunt attempt to put runners on first and second with nobody out. After a
Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) ground out moved both runners up a base, senior
Amanda Cook (Royal Palm Beach, FL/Suncoast) delivered the big hit a two-run double off the base of the fence in center field to give RIT the lead.
Alexandria Lunderman (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) would drive in Cook with a single of her own up the middle to make it a 3-0 game.
Valentine did the rest for RIT in the seventh inning to earn her 10th win of the season. After hitting three batters in the first two innings, Valentine settled down, allowing just four hits while striking out nine batters for her second shutout of the season and third of her career.
Blaker and Shoemaker had two hits apiece for the Tigers.
In game two, St. Lawrence scored a pair of runs off of Valentine in the first inning.
Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) would replace Valentine in the second inning and pitch tremendous the rest of the way, allowing just two hits and three walks, while striking out five batters for her sixth win of the season.
Cook made an incredible defensive play in the top of the third inning, going back to make a lunging grab on a deep fly ball by Jacqueline Dufour, while throwing to
Sarah Thayer (Tully, NY/Fabius-Pompey) who fired to Lunderman at first to complete a double play and keep it 2-0.
RIT would get one back on a run scoring double in the bottom of the third by Martin, who plated
Katelyn Koester (Amherst, NY/St. Mary's School for the Deaf) after a lead off walk.
The Tigers would push across four runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good. Thayer would lead off with a single and move to second on a sacrifice. Shoemaker would reach on a bunt single, moving Thayer to third.
Danielle Hotz (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) would drive in Thayer to tie the game with a single to left field. Cook would keep the hit parade going singling up the middle to score Shoemaker and make it 3-2. After Cook stole second, Blaker singled up the middle to score both runners and give RIT a three-run lead.
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 8-5.
RIT concludes the regular season on Tuesday, May 3, as The College at Brockport comes to Tiger Stadium for a pair of games that get underway at 3 p.m.
