Fresh off being named Liberty League rookie of the week, first-year hurler Madison Smith turned in a dominant performance in the opener, but the St. Lawrence University softball team couldn't complete a perfect day, dropping the back half 2-1 after rolling to a 13-0 run-rule victory in game one of a doubleheader at SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday.
 
The split leaves the Saints at 14-12 on the season entering a crucial conference weekend against Rensselaer, where third place in the conference standings will be on the line.
 

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Game 1: St. Lawrence 13, SUNY Potsdam 0 (5 inn.)
 
Smith set the tone from the first pitch, retiring the Bears in order in the bottom of the first and the Saints responded in kind at the plate.

St. Lawrence erupted for four runs on a four-hit, four-error inning. Maeve Thompson and Caelen Jahnle opened with back-to-back singles, and Allison Kloft singled to center to plate Thompson. Jahnle then scored on a throwing error, and Marina Juan capped the rally with a two-RBI single to left that brought home two more to make it 4-0.
 
The Saints kept their foot on the gas in the second, as Jahnle played some small ball early in the leadoff spot for the inning. The Ashburnham, Mass. native swiped second, moseyed to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI groundout by Kloft. It was 5-0 Saints after two.  
 
Three more came across in the third, as Emily Crain singled to left to plate Marina Juan and Leah VerSchneider, and an error extended the rally, with two runs scoring. Wendt then reached base on a passed ball after striking out, and Jahnle singled to right field after the lineup turned over to plate Emily Wendt and push the lead to 8-0.
 
The Scarlet and Brown's biggest offensive spurt came in the fourth. VerSchneider led off the inning by driving a ball to left for a single, then Marina Juan sent her around by cranking a two-run homer to left field, her first of the season, extending the advantage to 10-0. Jahnle added two more RBIs later in the inning with a two-out single to right, and an error allowed yet another run to score before the mercy rule was invoked.
 
Jahnle was the offensive standout, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs, while Juan finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs including the home run. Kloft went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Potsdam starter Sam Horne took the loss, allowing 13 runs, eight earned, on 16 hits over five innings.
 
Smith was outstanding in the circle, keeping the Bears hitless until the fourth inning. She shook off the infield single and finished a complete-game shutout in five innings, allowing just one hit, walking no one, and striking out three to earn her fifth win of the season. She has a pristine 5-0 record.
 

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Game 2: St. Lawrence 1, SUNY Potsdam 2

Potsdam jumped on St. Lawrence starter Hannah Reardon quickly in the first, stringing together a single, stolen base, walk, wild pitch, and a two-RBI single by Maddalyn Wasserman to take a 2-0 lead.

Reardon steadied from there, limiting the Bears to just six hits over the remaining five innings while striking out two.

The Saints finally answered in the fourth. Layne Fritz led off with a single to right, and Abby Gallas doubled down the left field line to score Fritz and cut the deficit to 2-1. Gallas advanced to third on a wild pitch, but the Saints couldn't push another run across, as Connelly hit into a double play to end the threat. St. Lawrence had chances again in the seventh but stranded the tying run to fall short.

Gallas led St. Lawrence at the plate, going 2-for-3 with the RBI double. Reardon took the loss, dropping to 1-4, while Birmingham went the complete-game distance for Potsdam to earn the win, keeping the Saints' offense guessing all afternoon and allowing one earned run on five hits.
 

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Up Next:

St. Lawrence returns to action this weekend at Rensselaer for a Liberty League doubleheader.