ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT softball team (17-23) had its 2016 season come to a close, falling to No. 2 seed Rensselaer (28-10) by a score of 3-2 in the fourth game of the double elimination Liberty League Tournament at Southside Field on Friday afternoon. Courtney McArthur hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh inning to win it for Rensselaer.

Devan Puhl led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk against RIT starting pitcher Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena), who was then replaced by Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont). After a sacrifice bunt and a walk, McArthur laced a line drive into the gap in left center field on a 1-0 pitch to easily score Puhl with the winning run.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Rensselaer rallied with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. Taylor Ten Eyck led off with a walk and Stephanie Caudle was hit by a pitch. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Morgan Ten Eyck came up with the big hit, a two-run single to left center field, scoring both runs.

RIT would tie the game in the top of the seventh inning. With runners on first and second and the Tigers down to their last out, McKenzie Martin (Deposit, NY/Deposit) hit a hard ground ball that went off the foot of the third baseman into left field, scoring Laura Weintraub (Syosset, NY/Syosset), who led off with a walk and moved to second on Emily Lazarus (Whitehall, PA/Allentown Catholic)' third single of the game.

In the first inning, Valentine gave up a leadoff single to Morgan Kollmeier with an error allowing her to advance to second. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner over to third, Taylor Ten Ecyk lifted a fly ball to right field that Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) got under for the out. Kollmeier tagged up from third and attempted to score, but Blaker unleashed a rocket of a throw on the fly to Lazarus, who applied the tag for the third out of the inning, ending the threat.

RIT would get on the board first with a run on three hits in the top of the third inning to take a 1-0 lead. With one out, Lazarus would get RIT's first hit, a single up the middle. After a wild pitch moved Lazarus to second and a strikeout, Martin singled on a 3-1 pitch to left center, scoring Lazarus.

Rensselaer threatened in the bottom half of the inning, as RIT made two errors, allowing runners on second and third with no outs. Valentine would bear down, getting a strike out, shallow pop up to left field, and a great diving stab by first baseman Alexandria Lunderman (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) to get out of the jam unscathed.

Lazarus would set a career-high with three hits and a run scored, while Blaker went 2-for-4. Valentine allowed four hits and four walks with three strikeouts on the mound, pitching around five RIT errors over the first four innings.

Stephanie Caudle picked up the win for Rensselaer, allowing seven hits and an earned run in the complete-game, while walking one and striking out four Tigers.

Yesterday, RIT dropped the opening game of the tournament to host Rochester, 1-0. Valentine allowed just six hits and one run in the complete game with four batters. Eleni Wechsler threw a no-hitter for Rochester. Rensselaer fell to No. 3 seed Skidmore, 4-1. On Friday morning, Skidmore defeated Rochester, 5-0 to advance to the championship round Saturday morning. Rensselaer will face Rochester later Friday for the right to face Skidmore in the championship round.

Today marked the third meeting of the season between the two teams, as Rensselaer won all three meetings. The Engineers won both previous meetings at home on April 9, 5-3 and 9-1. Rensselaer leads the all-time series between the two schools, 17-3.