SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The RIT softball team (15-6, 2-0 Liberty League) opened Liberty League play by sweeping both ends of a doubleheader at Skidmore (8-16, 0-2 Liberty League) on Saturday afternoon. RIT took game one, 3-0 and rolled to an 8-1 win in game two.
 
Freshman shortstop Erin Guinan (Geneva, NY/Geneva) was perfect at the plate for the Tigers on Saturday, going 6-for-6 with three runs scored, two runs batted in, and two intentional walks.
 
The pitching duo of Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) and Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) allowed just one run in the 14 innings of play, as both picked up their sixth win of the season.
 
"I am happy with how we started league play today," said RIT head coach Rebecca Stryker. "We had contributions all the way around in both games with strong pitching, hitting, and defense."
 
In game one, RIT broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the top of the sixth inning. Alexandria Lunderman (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) reached on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sam Killian (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder). Olivia Doret (Fairfax, VA/Chantilly) reached on an error, giving RIT runners on first and second. After a Laura Weintraub (Syosset, NY/Syosset) walk loaded the bases, Sarah Thayer (Tully, NY/Fabius-Pompey) lined a single to score Lunderman, giving RIT a 1-0 lead. The offense kept coming, as Alexa Farner (Gowanda, NY/Gownanda) would drive in Doret to make it 2-0 and Erin Guinan (Geneva, NY/Geneva) would execute a perfectly placed bunt to score Weintraub, giving RIT a 3-0 lead.
 
Mahar was brilliant on the mound for the Tigers, allowing just two hits for her third shutout of the season and sixth victory. She struck out five and walked five batters in the victory.
 
Guinan was perfect at the plate in game one, going 4-for-4.
 
In game two, Guinan picked back where she left off in game one, hitting a rocket of a home run over the right center field fence, her second of the season to lead off and give RIT a 1-0 lead.
 
RIT would put the game away with three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to build an insurmountable 8-0 lead. Skidmore would break the shutout with one in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
The Tigers would explode for 12 hits in game two. Farner was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored, and three RBIs. Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) doubled twice and drove in three runs, while Lunderman also had two hits. Guinan was 2-for-2 with two walks and scored three times.
 
Valentine was strong on the mound for the Tigers, throwing a complete-game four-hitter, allowing an unearned run, while striking out six and walking two batters. She improved to 6-2 on the season with the victory.
 
The Tigers improved to 19-11 all-time against Skidmore.

RIT is right back in action on Sunday at Liberty League foe Clarkson for a doubleheader that gets underway at 1 p.m.