ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT softball team (12-3) played its first two home games of the 2017 season, recording back-to-back shutouts, 1-0 in eight innings and 5-0 over Keuka College (3-5) in the cold and wind at Tiger Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
Pitchers
Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) and
Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) threw consecutive shutouts in the doubleheader, becoming the first RIT hurlers to do so since Carlissa Cole and Brittany Kemp on May 1, 2011 against Nazareth. It was also the first time RIT recorded back-to-back shutouts since Feb. 24-25, 2013.
Mahar was brilliant in game one, scattering just four hits and three walks, while striking out six batters in the 128-pitch, eight-inning complete-game gem. She improved to 5-1 with a 1.05 earned run average in 40 innings this season.
Valentine equaled Mahar's brilliance in game two, striking out a career-high 13 batters, while allowing just three hits and one walk in a 104-pitch masterpiece. Valentine lowered her 2017 earned run average to 2.10, improved to 4-1, and now has 39 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings.
"It was great to get strong pitching in both games, along with a few timely hits to put us on top today," said RIT head coach
Rebecca Stryker. "We are hoping the weather cooperates so we can continue to get our mid-week games in next week, which will help us prepare for the start of Liberty League play."
In game one, Mahar and Keuka pitcher Colleen Maloney were locked in a fierce pitcher's duel throughout. Keuka had the first major chance to strike in the top of the sixth inning, as Jessie Hammers singled and aggressively moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Samantha Blum attempted a squeeze bunt that stopped right in front of home plate, allowing RIT catcher
Sam Killian (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) to pounce on it and attempt to tag Hammers. Hammers tried to go around Killian, but in doing so, ran out of the base line and was called out.
Keuka threatened once again in the seventh inning, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Sam Welch looped a pop fly into shallow center field to looked to drop before
Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) came in and made a clutch diving grab to preserve the scoreless tie.
With a runner placed on second base to start the eighth inning, an error on a bunt and stolen base would put runners at second and third with nobody out for Keuka before Mahar reached back and struck out the side.
Olivia Doret (Fairfax, VA/Chantilly) would be placed on second to start the bottom of the eighth inning and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Sarah Thayer (Tully, NY/Fabius-Pompey). Emma Sales would follow by ripping a line drive right at the right fielder that was caught for the second out. Doret would tag up from third and beat the throw home for the walk-off victory.
Maloney was strong for Keuka, allowing just four hits on 81 pitches in the tough-luck complete-game loss.
In game two, RIT would take advantage of three Keuka errors to score four unearned runs. RIT would take a 1-0 lead in the third inning, as
Alexa Farner (Gowanda, NY/Gownanda) reached on an error, moved to second on a single by
Erin Guinan (Geneva, NY/Geneva), and third on a fielder's choice. Farner would then score on a wild pitch.
Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) would single and score in the fourth inning to make it 2-0, while Sarles singled home pinch runner
Francesca Cusato (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland) to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead. RIT would open up the lead, as Guinan walked and scored an unearned run in the fifth, while
KayLee Steiner (Jamesville, NY/Manlius Pebble Hill) walked with the bases loaded in the sixth inning.
Valentine would preserve the shutout by striking out the side in the top of the seventh. Guinan led the RIT offense with three hits, reaching base four times in the sweep.
RIT is now 20-7 all-time against Keuka.
RIT is off this weekend, but returns to action on Wednesday, April 5 with a road doubleheader at The College of Brockport that gets underway at 3 p.m.
