Vivian Johnson hit a solo home run in game one, but it wasn't enough to carry the St. Lawrence University softball team to victory on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Ithaca, N.Y.

They dropped both games of their Liberty League doubleheader against the Ithaca Bombers 5-3 and 10-2, dropping the Saints' conference record to 4-6 and their overall record to 16-12.
 

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Game 1: St. Lawrence 3, Ithaca 5

After a three-up, three-down top of the first for St. Lawrence, Ithaca quickly built up a sizeable lead in their half of the game's opening frame. They had five hits, including two doubles, to drive in four runs off the Saints and it was 4-0 after the opening inning.

St. Lawrence starting pitcher Izzy Melanson settled in from there – setting the Bombers down in order in the second, as both teams only sent three batters to the plate. In the third, the Saints had their best offensive look of the game when Leah VerSchneider took a ball deep into right-center gap, but Ithaca right fielder Anna Bello ranged back to make a tough over-the-shoulder catch and keep the Saints hitless.

This changed in the top of the fourth with one swing of the bat. In the first at-bat of the inning, Johnson worked her way into a hitters count before tattooing a 2-1 pitch high over the right field fence for a solo home run. It was the senior shortstop's first collegiate long ball, and brought St. Lawrence's deficit down to 4-1.

After a weather delay, Ithaca re-gained their lead in the fifth. Haley Petrucci had a double with one out to get to second base, then advanced to third on an error and was driven in on a sac fly to make it 5-1. Melanson retired the next batter to end the inning.

St. Lawrence didn't go down quietly in the seventh, making a game of it in their last time up at the plate. Allison Kloft kicked off the inning by crushing an 0-2 pitch into right-center for extra bases, recording a lead off double.

Maeve Thompson then picked up an infield single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Layne Fritz came in for Thompson on the basepaths, and was thrown out on the basepaths. However, while Fritz was caught in a rundown, Kloft swiped home base to make it 5-2. Stella VanGee later singled in the inning, and VerSchneider knocked her home to cut the lead to two.

However, St. Lawrence ran out of outs and a strikeout ended the game with the score at 5-3 Ithaca.

Melanson was tagged with the loss over six complete innings, allowing five runs on eight hits, walking one. It's just her third loss of 2025, bringing her record to 6-3 overall. Ithaca starter Anna Cornell scattered five Saints knocks over her seven complete innings, fanning 15. Johnson, Kloft, Thompson, VanGee and VerSchneider had the Saints' knocks.
 

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Game 2: St. Lawrence 2, Ithaca 10

The first two innings were efficient for both starting pitchers, but Ithaca had a strong offensive start to the third. They saw back to back singles, with the second being an RBI knock, then Petrucci hit a two-run homer over the right field wall to make it 3-0 Bombes at the end of the third inning.

Each team traded runs in the third. For St. Lawrence, Maddie Connelly fired a fly ball to toward the right field line and it proved to be trouble, dropping fair passed the outstretched glove of a diving Bomber outfielder and putting Connelly on second with a double. VerSchneider then drove her in to put the Scarlet and Brown on the board. Ithaca would regain their three-run lead shortly thereafter on an RBI single by Belle de Oliveira.

St. Lawrence cut it down to two runs again in the sixth. Kloft's second double of the day put her in scoring position to lead off the inning. She advanced to third on a Connelly flyout, and then scored from third after a throw down by the catcher was air mailed into left field. That made the score 4-2.

Ithaca would then put up their biggest inning of the day in the bottom half of the seventh, plating six runs to end the game via the eight-run rule with a 10-2 final score.

It was the first time the Saints lost a game through the mercy rule this season. 28 games is the latest into the season St. Lawrence has gone without losing via a run rule in program history. The 2000 Saints did not lose on a run rule – but they only played 20 games.

The Saints had four hits in the game, but two of them were doubles. Kloft and Connelly had those. Sofia Berryhill took the loss in the circle, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in five and one-thirds innings pitched. Mady Rowell, the Ithaca starter, improved to 9-1 with a four-hit performance for the complete game win over St. Lawrence.
 

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Up Next:

St. Lawrence continues conference play next weekend with a crucial doubleheader against Skidmore. The Saints currently have a two-game cushion on the Thoroughbreds for the fifth and final spot in the Liberty League tournament, making this twin bill pivotal for both teams' playoff aspirations. The games will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 26.