CANTON, NY — The RIT softball team (17-8, 4-2 Liberty League) split a pair of conference games at St. Lawrence University (13-7, 3-3 Liberty League) Friday afternoon at Saints Softball Field. The Tigers fell 4-3 in game one, before rebounding with a 4-3 victory in the second contest.
 
In game one, the Tigers were led by the bats of Danielle Hotz (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby), Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West), and Tia Aunkst (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo), who all drove in a run apiece. Hotz also added a pair of hits, while Blaker, Aunkst, and Alexandria Lunderman (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) each had one hit. Hotz, Blaker, and Alexa Farner (Gowanda, NY/Gownanda) scored runs.
 
On the mound, Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) pitched a complete game, going seven innings and striking out four, while allowing three earned runs on nine hits.
 
For the Saints, Emma Reakes had the hot bat, driving in two runs. Angelina Carney also added an RBI, while she had two hits, along with Deanna Sullivan and Taylor Armijo. Three others registered a hit each in the game.
 
Starting the game at pitcher for St. Lawrence was Madison Mitchell, who went 3 1/3 innings, striking out three batters, but allowing three runs on three hits. Allie Courtwright then came in for the final 3 2/3, striking out two batters in scoreless relief.
 
The scoring in the opening game started in the second inning, when Carney made it 1-0 Saints on an RBI single up the middle. The next inning, the Saints made it 4-0 on a two-RBI single by Reakes, followed by a score on a wild pitch.
 
Entering the fourth inning in a 4-0 hole, RIT came back with three scores of its own. Hotz singled down the right field line, scoring Farner, and the next batter, Blaker, doubled down the opposite line to score Hotz, cutting it to 4-2. The Tigers added one more run later in the frame, as Aunkst walked with the bases loaded.
 
RIT would not be able to tie the game, falling in a tight one-run game.
 
In game two, Aunkst led with two RBIs and a hit, while Hotz and Lunderman added RBIs as well. Erin Guinan (Geneva, NY/Geneva) and Hotz both had a pair of hits in the contest, while three other Tigers finished with a hit each.
 
On the mound, Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) made the start, pitching a complete seven innings, with 10 strikeouts, while allowing two earned runs on seven hits for her fourth straight victory and eighth overall in 2017. She is now 8-2 on the season with a 1.77 earned run average.

Mylea Mann led the Saints, driving in a game-high three runs to go along with two hits and a run scored. Mitchell started the game on the mound, allowing three runs on five hits.
 
Lunderman walked with the bases loaded, making it 1-0 in the top of the third inning. Two batters later, Aunkst hit a two-run single up the middle, giving the Tigers a 3-0 lead after three innings. In the fourth, Hotz went deep with an RBI triple to right field, scoring Guinan and making it 4-0 RIT.
 
In the seventh, with their backs against the ball and down 4-1, the Saints made it a tight 4-3 game on a two-run homer by Mann in the bottom of the inning, but could not complete the comeback.

The Tigers will return to action on Wednesday, April 19, as they play host to SUNY Geneseo for a non-league doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. from Tiger Stadium.