Gabby Slater allowed just one run on seven hits and two walks to lead the St. Lawrence University softball team to a 2-1 win over the University of Rochester in the second game of a Liberty League doubleheader at Saints Softball Field on Thursday afternoon.
The win was the Saints' first over the Yellowjackets since 2013 and followed an 8-1 loss in the opener.
The game ended in dramatic fashion, as McKailey Lyndaker threw out Rochester's Harleigh Kaczegowicz at the plate for the second out of the seventh inning, as Kaczegowicz was attempting to score the tying run on a ground ball that bounced off St. Lawrence shortstop Elle Gray's glove after Gray dove to keep the ball from rolling into center field. Lyndaker picked up the ball and fired it home to Saints' catcher Skylar Hein, who was there to tag Kaczegowicz out with plenty of time to spare.
Gray caught a soft line drive to end the game with the potential tying run on second base in the next at bat.
"I am so proud of this team," said St. Lawrence head coach Elisa VanKirk. "They have been fighters all season and have never given up. We see their hard work every day as their coaches and I am so happy for the team."
The Saints moved to 15-13 overall and 1-9 in Liberty League play, while Rochester is also 15-13 overall and is 5-3 in the conference.
Rochester 8, St. Lawrence 1
Elizabeth Bourne was dominant in the pitching circle for the Yellowjackets, allowing one run on six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in the opener.
Bourne hit an RBI single in the second and Jen Carson added RBI hits in the third and fifth to give the Yellowjackets a 3-0 lead. Rochester broke the game open with three runs in the sixth off RBI singles by Rachael Pletz and Alizah Ayon and an RBI double by Kaczegowicz. Toni Anne Hahn added another run on a fielding error in the seventh to boost the lead to 8-0.
The Saints got a run on the board in the bottom of the seventh, with Slater leading off with a double down the right field line and, after moving to third a single by Lauryn Best, scoring on an RBI groundout by Taylor Armijo.
Slater led the Saints' offense, going 2-for-3, while Conforti was 3-for-4 and Kaczegowicz was 3-for-5 with two doubles for Rochester. Bourne had a triple to finish the day 2-for-4, and Sammi Re was also 2-for-4 for the Yellowjackets.
Lyndaker took the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits with one walk in three innings pitched. Caroline Young allowed three runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of relief, and Slater allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in 1.2 innings.
St. Lawrence 2, Rochester 1
Slater allowed just one hit — a double by Conforti to lead off the second — the first time through the Rochester batting order and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the third inning, getting Conforti out on an infield pop up to keep the game scoreless.
Skylar Hein drilled a line drive double to score Gray from second to give the Saints a 1-0 lead in the fourth, but Rochester starting pitcher Hannah Leahy limited the damage, striking out two straight batters with the bases loaded to hold the Saints to one run in the inning.
Elle Gray erased a leadoff walk by Marissa Russo in the top of the fifth, snagging a line drive and throwing to first to turn a double play.
Armijo led off the fifth with a double that bounced off the third base bag into foul territory in left field, and Angelina Carney dropped a single into right to score Armijo to increase the Saints' lead to 2-0. Leahy, however, worked herself out of a bases-loaded jam once again, this time with two outs, to prevent the Saints from putting a crooked number on the board.
Slater again got help from her defense in the top of the sixth inning, with Hein making an incredible catch on a pop up in foul territory for the second out of the inning with Conforti standing on second base.
Russo led off the seventh inning with a double that hit the foul line in left field, and the tying run stood on first base when the Saints were unable to handle a high fly ball from Kaczegowicz that the wind blew in from center field to the edge of the infield dirt. The runners advanced to second and third on a groundout by Re, setting up the dramatic play at the plate.Â
Ayon hit a hard ground ball up the middle, sending Russo in to score, but Lyndaker's throw to Hein was on target and the Saints' catcher was in position to apply the tag when Kaczegowicz was only halfway home. Slater got Carson to hit a soft line drive to record the final out.
Hein was 2-for-2 to lead the Saints' offense; Ayon was 3-for-4 for the Yellowjackets, and Conforti was 2-for-3.
Leahy took the loss for Rochester, allowing two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 4.1 innings. Addy Szczerba came on in relief with two outs in the fifth, allowing three hits in 1.2 shutout innings.
