Allison Kloft had four hits and three RBI, including a go-ahead RBI knock in the first game of the doubleheader, and
Izzy Melanson had a complete game shutout, as the St. Lawrence University softball team took two wins over Skidmore for their first twin-bill sweep of conference play Saturday afternoon.
Game one saw the Scarlet and Brown take a low-scoring affair 1-0, before turning in a 7-1 blowout victory in the second game to give them a 19-12 record overall and improve their Liberty League mark to 6-6.
The wins come as the Saints continue their quest to lock down a playoff berth. This puts St. Lawrence tied for fourth overall with RIT in the conference standings entering the last weekend of the season where they'll face off against top-ranked Rensselaer.
The top five teams in the Liberty League qualify for the postseason – RIT will play Ithaca in the final weekend of the regular season. Union, currently sixth in the conference, is a game behind St. Lawrence. They play No. 2 seeded Rochester in the final weekend of the regular season.
St. Lawrence's wins came as seniors
Meredith Rose,
Zola Braswell and
Kayla Minst participated in the final home regular season games of their collegiate careers. They were honored between games with a ceremony, and were joined by their loved ones on the field.
Game 1: Skidmore 0, St. Lawrence 1
It was a pitchers' duel to kick the doubleheader off, with Melanson and Skidmore's Hailey Clarke going toe-to-toe mowing down the respective teams' lineups.
The first runner of the game in scoring position came in the top of the fourth inning, when Elle Harrison advanced to second on a bunt single from Bernie Berner with nobody out. However, first-year Melanson worked her way out of the predicament by getting a ground ball for a fielder's choice, then two fly-outs ended the inning.
St. Lawrence then recorded the game's first run in the sixth, with an icebreaker from Kloft.
Vivian Johnson mustered a two-out single up the middle, then Kloft launched a fly ball into the right-center gap for a single, a Skidmore defender dove for the ball and missed, allowing the speedy Johnson to advance home. That RBI knock from the Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. native pushed the Saints into a 1-0 lead.
That run total stood until the game's culmination, when Melanson mowed down three Thoroughbreds in order after a leadoff walk, including a swinging strikeout to finish the complete game.
Melanson commanded the circule, tossing seven complete, and allowing no runs on four hits, one walk, and striking out five.
Game 2: Skidmore 1, St. Lawrence 7
As St. Lawrence went for the sweep, they found a way to produce early in the second game, getting out to an advantage in short order.
Kloft got the offense going again on her first plate appearance of the game. After Johnson reached on a triple into the right field corner, Kloft drove her home with a knock into left center for her second RBI single of the afternoon, making it 1-0 Saints.
Their second run came in the second inning.
Stella VanGee broke out some small ball to give the Saints a runner in scoring position – she posted a leadoff bunt single then swiped second base.
Olivia Caporale drove her in with a looping single to right center, making the score 2-0 Saints.
The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the fourth, when the Scarlet and Brown plated four runs.
Caelen Jahnle reached on a fielding error at third base with one out, then
Maeve Thompson followed that up with a single to center field, putting two on with one out. That sparked a run of four straight singles, with each of the next three going down as RBI knocks. Rose brought two runs around with her single. When all was said and done, it was 6-0 St. Lawrence.
The Saints and Thoroughbreds then traded one run each in the later stages of the game, and the game ended, fittingly, on a putout by departing senior Braswell.
Sofia Berryhill continued her winning ways on the mound, earning the complete-game victory over Skidmore. She tossed seven innings, allowing seven hits, one run, walking two and striking out five.
Next up:
The Saints now finish their regular season on the road, heading to Troy, N.Y. to face Rensselaer Saturday, May 4.
