Allison Kloft went a combined 6-for-10 with two RBIs across both games, but it was her walk-off double in bottom of the 10
th inning in the opening contest that proved to be the defining moment of the day, as the St. Lawrence University softball team swept a doubleheader with Union in Canton, N.Y. on Saturday.
St. Lawrence won the opener 2-1 in 10 innings before holding off 5-2 in the second half, giving the Saints a 13-11 overall and 6-4 in Liberty League play, vaulting them into third place at the end of the game.
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Game 1: Union 1, St. Lawrence 2 (10 Inn.)
Marleigh Monroe and Union's Carra Cleaves staged a classic pitcher's duel, matching each other pitch-for-pitch through nine frames of scoreless softball on a warm, sunny, and windy afternoon.
Monroe was masterful, going all 10 innings and surrendering just one unearned run on five hits, walking no one, and striking out six. Cleaves was as good, holding the Saints hitless through much of the contest while striking out eight.
The Saints had their share of close calls that didn't come through. In the seventh, St. Lawrence loaded the bases with two out on a pair of hit batters and a fielder's choice, but
Emily Wendt struck out looking and
Maeve Thompson grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to strand them all and keep the game scoreless.
Union finally broke through in the top of the 10
th under international tiebreaker rules. With a placed runner at second, Amy FitzPatrick bunted her to third, and Sophia Burynski lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score placed runner Daniella Nocera on a close play at the plate, giving Union a 1-0 lead.
St. Lawrence answered right away in the bottom half. With the placed runner Thompson at second,
Caelen Jahnle laid down a bunt single and reached second on a Maddy Ewald throwing error, with Thompson scoring on the miscue to tie it at one. Kloft then stepped up with Jahnle in scoring position and laced a game-winner to right center to plate Jahnle and seal the 2-1 walk-off victory, capping a classic at Saints Softball Field.
Cleaves took the loss despite a quality outing, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits over nine-plus innings. Kloft paced St. Lawrence offensively going 4-for-5 with the decisive RBI.
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Game 2: Union 2, St. Lawrence 5
The Saints didn't wait nearly as long to plate runners in game two. St. Lawrence struck in the bottom of the first, as Thompson singled down the right field line, stole her way to third, and scored on a Kloft sacrifice fly to right to put the Saints up 1-0 after one.
The Saints doubled their advantage in the fourth. Jahnle walked, Kloft singled to center, and
Isabel Moreno came through with a two-run triple to right center, plating both to make it 3-0.
St. Lawrence added two more in the fifth.
Leah VerSchneider singled to right and
Marina Juan walked to load up the bases, and when
Emily Crain reached on a third baseman's throwing error, VerSchneider scored unearned.
Layne Fritz then grounded out to short, but Crain scored on the play on another unearned run to push the lead to 5-0.
Union avoided the shutout in the sixth, when Amy FitzPatrick tripled to center to score two and make it 5-2, but that was as close as the Garnet Chargers would get. Smith was steady all afternoon, going six innings while allowing two unearned runs on five hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Hannah Reardon closed it out in the seventh, retiring Union in order to earn the save.
Isabel Moreno paced the Saints with her two-run triple, while Kloft was once again in the middle of everything, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Brancazio took the loss, giving up five runs, three earned, in four and a third innings of work.
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Up Next:
St. Lawrence now has non-conference swing down Route 11 in Potsdam to face the Bears, before going to Rensselaer next Saturday for a doubleheader.
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