Margo Hopper homered and Gabby Slater pitched a complete game to lead the St. Lawrence softball team and first-year head coach Rosie Phillips to win their first game of the season, topping New Paltz 8-3 on a chilly Saturday night in Clermont, Fla.

An error put a runner on first, a double scored her, and a sacrifice fly put the Saints down two runs after three batters. St. Lawrence shook off the first game jitters by putting out the next batter and catching a runner stealing to end the inning.

The Saints quickly responded to the New Paltz offense. Stella VanGee and Vivian Johnson each singled, and Margo Hopper hit her first homerun in scarlet and brown to give the Saints the lead.

Hopper, who caught Slater's complete game win, scored twice more. In the fifth inning she reached on a single up the middle, advanced on a Lauryn Best single, and capitalized on an error at first base to get from second to home. In the sixth inning she hit a hard ball to right for her third hit of the day which scored VanGee, an error in right field got Hopper to third, and another error at third let her score to put the Saints up 8-3.

Slater gave up just six hits in seven innings, and allowed one earned run.

"We played the way we know we can today," said Phillips, "and I am very pleased with our first showing." We had some expected hiccups for our first time on dirt, but we showed up offensively with some timely hits and aggressive base-running, as well as an awesome showing by Gabby Slater in the circle and key defensive plays. If we continue to play the way we did today, we will have a successful season."

The Saints are 1-0, and face Macalester and Wheaton tomorrow in a double header at 3 and 5:15 p.m., respectively. New Paltz falls to 3-2.