TUCSON, AZ – Senior pitcher
Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) fired a four-hit shutout, helping lead the RIT softball team (1-3) to its first win of the season at the Tucson Invitational on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers blanked the College of Staten Island (1-6), 4-0 in Sunday's opener and fell to Augsburg College (6-2), 8-3 in the nightcap.
Mahar was brilliant in the win over Staten Island, allowing just four hits and two walks, while striking out eight batters for her seventh career shutout.
RIT jumped right out to the early lead, scoring three times in the top of the first inning.
Samm Carroll (Woodbridge, NJ/Woodbridge) walked and moved to third on a single by
Erin Guinan (Geneva, NY/Geneva).
Olivia Doret (Fairfax, VA/Chantilly) singled in Carroll to make it 1-0. After a sacrifice bunt by
Madisen Baldwin (Washougal, WA/Washougal) moved both runners up a base,
Sarah Thayer (Tully, NY/Fabius-Pompey) reached on an error that allowed Guinan and Doret to score, giving RIT a 3-0 lead.
Guinan would triple and score on an RBI groundout by Baldwin in the sixth inning for RIT's fourth run. Guinan went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Carroll, Doret, Baldwin and Thayer added hits for the Tigers.
Augsburg would take control early in the second game of the day, scoring three times in the bottom of first inning to take a 3-0 lead. RIT would mount a rally with two fourth inning runs to cut the lead to 3-2, before Augsburg responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and a pair in the sixth.
Carroll singled and stole second base, moving to third on an error that allowed Doret to reach. Guinan doubled in Carroll to make it 3-1, advancing Doret to third. Doret would score on a wild pitch. In the sixth, Guinan and
Raquel Estrada (Middletown, NY/Middletown) recorded back-to-back singles with two outs. Guinan would score as Thayer reached on an error to make it a 6-3 game.
Guinan had two hits for the second straight game, while
Danielle Hotz (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby), , Carroll and Estrada had one apiece.
Morgan Malley hit a three-run home run for Augsburg in the fourth inning, driving in four runs total in the game. Samantha Anderson earned the win on the mound, going the distance with four strikeouts.
RIT is right back in action on Monday, with contests against Dickinson College (11 a.m. EST) and Case Western Reserve University (1 p.m. EST) from Lincoln Park Field.