Hannah Sears took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in a complete-game one-hitter in the first game, and
Deanna Sullivan knocked in five runs — one shy of tying a school record — in the second to lead the St. Lawrence University softball team to a 2-0, 11-2 sweep of SUNY Canton at Saints Softball Field on Tuesday afternoon.
With the sweep, the Saints finish the season 22-11, tying the program record for wins in a season. The team shattered the record for runs scored in a season with 206 (previously 174, set in 2001) and fell just shy of breaking the program record for scoring average with 6.24 runs per game. The Saints averaged 6.25 runs per game in their inaugural season in 2000.
Sears retired the first 13 batters she faced in the opener, including eight by strikeouts, before Lizzie Bimonte reached on a fielding error with one out in the fifth inning. Sears retired the next six SUNY Canton hitters, but Courtney Hyland broke up the no-hitter with one out in the seventh inning with a double down the left field line.
Taylor Armijo made a diving catch on a shallow fly ball to center field to preserve the perfect game for the first out of the fourth inning.
Sears, the lone senior on the Saints' roster this season, finished the game with nine strikeouts and faced just two batters over the minimum.
Caitlin Syphurs went 3-for-3 with an RBI double, breaking the school record for RBI in a season with 31. Michelle Circelli '03 previously held the record with 30 RBI in 2003.
Alexandra Barter was 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Saints in the first game.
Jordan Podkladek allowed just one earned run on nine hits and two walks in the loss for Canton, which fell to 19-13 on the season.
In the second game, the Saints scored two runs in each of the first three innings, then exploded for five unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the Roos away in five innings.
Sullivan plated two runs with a single to center field in the second inning, then hit a bases loaded double, clearing the bases to bring her RBI total for the game to five. Colette Dafoe '01 holds the record for RBI in a game with six, set against Rochester in 2001.
Mylea Mann was 3-for-3 in the second game, while
Angelina Carney went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Sullivan was also 2-for-3, while Armijo was 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Rachel Thornhill went 2-for-2 to lead the Roos' offense.
Allie Courtwright got the win, allowing five hits and no earned runs with one strikeout and no walks in four innings.
