ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT softball team (6-14, 2-4 Liberty League) split a doubleheader against Liberty League rival Union College (6-14, 4-2 Liberty League) from sun-soaked Tiger Stadium on Saturday afternoon. RIT rallied to win game one, 3-2, while Union came from behind to take game two, 9-8.
RIT trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning of game one, with Union pitcher Makayla Koehler on cruise control, having needed only 42 pitches to get through the first five innings unscathed.
RIT's bats would wake up, however, as
Danielle Hotz (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) led off with a single and with one out, advanced on a single by
Olivia Doret (Fairfax, VA/Chantilly).
Erin Guinan (Geneva, NY/Geneva) blasted a double to center field fence, scoring Hotz and Doret to tie the game. Guinan would also move to third on a throwing error on the play at the plate, which would loom large. RIT's next batter,
Alexandria Lunderman (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) would hit a ground out to shortstop that scored Guinan from third for the game-winning run.
RIT pitcher
Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) scattered five hits and a pair of third inning runs, while striking out four batters for her third win of the season. Koehler took the loss for Union.
Hotz was 2-for-3 with a run scored offensively for RIT. Stuart Buxton was 1-for-3 with a triple, run scored and RBI for the Dutchwomen, while Nikki Diuzio was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
In game two, RIT started with authority, scoring five times in the bottom the first inning to take a commanding 5-0 lead. RIT took advantage of an error and pair of bases loaded walks in the inning.
After Union cut the RIT lead to 5-2, RIT responded with three more runs in the third inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Doret to take an 8-2 lead.
Union would rally with a run in the fifth and take advantage of defensive miscues by the Tigers in the sixth to scores six times and take the 9-8 lead. Kendall Rogoff tripled in two runs, while Kim Puzo slammed a two-run homer to make it 8-7. With the bases loaded and two outs. Buxton reached on an error, allowing two more runs to score.
Torie Adler (West Chester, PA/B. Reed Henderson) started for the Tigers, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) with four strikeouts in five innings. Mahar would enter in the top of the sixth inning and give up six runs, three earned with a pair of strikeouts in two innings.
Guinan tripled with one out in the sixth inning, but was stranded at third. She would go 3-for-4 with a run scored, while
Madisen Baldwin (Washougal, WA/Washougal) had two hits. Seven different Tigers had a hit.
Courtney Casey was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, while Puzo drove in three runs. Rogoff was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Catherine Raeter picked up the win in relief, allowing three hits over 4 2/3 innings. Koehler pitched the final two innings for the save.
Union leads the all-time series between the two schools, 15-10.
RIT will host Clarkson University in a pair of crucial Liberty League contests Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. RIT will honor seniors
Tia Aunkst (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo), Lunderman and Mahar between games.