Marleigh Monroe and
Izzy Melanson each tossed complete games, leading the St. Lawrence University softball teams to their seventh and eighth wins in a row in a doubleheader sweep of RIT on Saturday afternoon.
The 12-2 and 5-2 triumphs pull St. Lawrence above .500 on the season to an overall record of 9-7, and a conference record of 4-0. It is the team's first 4-0 start in conference play since 2000, and its first as a member of the Liberty League. It is also the team's longest win streak since March 18 to April 30, 2000, when the inaugural iteration of Saints softball strung together 10 straight wins.
"We had a great outing today from top to bottom," said Saints head coach
Tyler Pagaduan. "I thought we played very well. It took some time to get going offensively, but when we did, we created a lot of momentum. We had two great performances in the circle today, and I am extremely proud of both Izzy and Marleigh."
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Game 1: St. Lawrence 12, RIT 2
The game was scoreless through two innings before St. Lawrence broke it open in dramatic fashion in the third. The rally started with two outs when
Maeve Thompson ripped a double down the right field line.
Caelen Jahnle followed with a walk to put two runners on, and
Allison Kloft delivered a clutch opposite-field RBI knock, as Thompson beat the throw from right field and slid home safely. The single moved Jahnle to third while Kloft stretched to second on the throw.
Isabel Moreno then laced a two-run double to right field, plating both Jahnle and Kloft to make it 3-0.
The offense didn't stop there for the Scarlet and Brown.
Leah VerSchneider drew a walk before RIT shortstop Sylvia White dropped a hard-hit line drive, which allowed another run to score on a play that was scored an error.
Marleigh Monroe then helped her own cause, singling up the middle to plate another run. The inning continued to unravel for RIT when
Layne Fritz reached on another error, allowing
Marina Juan to score on the play. With the bases loaded, Addison Hill replaced Mackenzie Blair in the circle, but the damage continued as Thompson drew a walk to bring in the seventh and final run of the frame.
Monroe and the Saints' bats picked up right where they left off in the seventh inning. Kloft opened the inning with a double to center field, and a wild pitch moved her to third before VerSchneider stroked a run-scoring single up the middle to make it 8-0.
Marina Juan followed immediately with a double down the left field line, pushing VerSchneider to third. Monroe then delivered a two-run single to center, scoring both VerSchneider and pinch runner
Quinn Jerome to extend the lead to 10-0.
Fritz kept the line moving by drilling a triple down the right field line, driving in Monroe, before Wendt capped the inning with an RBI single through the left side to bring Fritz home and push the final margin to 12-2.
Monroe was dominant in the circle from start to finish, tossing a complete-game two-hitter with nine strikeouts and holding the Tigers to just two unearned runs. Monroe navigated those situations without allowing an earned run, finishing with 116 pitches and a nine-strikeout performance.
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Game 2: St. Lawrence 5, RIT 2
Leah VerSchneider opened the second with a single to right field, and advanced to second on a dropped third strike in the next at-bat.
Marleigh Monroe then slapped a single to center field, and when RIT center fielder Carlianna Ewing mishandled the ball, VerSchneider scored all the way from second on the error to put St. Lawrence up 1-0. RIT had a response to make it 3-1 after two innings.
St. Lawrence broke the game open in the third inning with a three-run rally that saw them keep the line moving with back-to-back hits and take advantage of RIT's wildness. Thompson led off with a walk and Jahnle dropped down a perfect bunt single to third, loading up the bases after Kloft ripped a hard-hit single past the third baseman to fill the bases with no outs. RIT got a force out at home, then with Verschneider at the plate, Jahnle broke home on a wild pitch to pull St. Lawrence ahead.
Marina Juan then stepped up and drilled a two-run double, though she was thrown out trying to leg out a triple, scoring Moreno and Kloft to push the lead to 4-1.
RIT pulled to within 4-2 in the sixth inning on a two-out RBI single by Carlianna Ewing that brought White home, and Taryn Jones followed with a single up the middle to load the bases with two outs before Melanson engineered an escape by striking out Kate Carlone looking.
St. Lawrence added an insurance run in the seventh to restore the three-run margin.
Emily Siansky doubled to left center to start the frame, and pinch runner
Zoe Davenport took her spot on the bases. A passed ball moved Davenport to third, and Wendt drew a walk before stealing second to put two runners in scoring position. Jahnle grounded out to third to plate Davenport with the fifth and final run of the game.
Marina Juan was the offensive standout of the game for St. Lawrence, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Sabrina Hotra had a strong day at the plate for RIT, reaching base all three times she came up with a pair of doubles and one RBI.
Melanson went for the complete game in the circle, allowing just two earned runs on 11 hits, striking out three and only walking one.
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Up Next:
It'll be a clash of two undefeated Liberty League teams beginning at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning, as St. Lawrence battles the University of Rochester Yellowjackets in Rochester, N.Y.
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