St. Lawrence University Athletics

The St. Lawrence University softball team split a Senior Day doubleheader with Skidmore Saturday afternoon in Canton, celebrating four seniors before Maeve Thompson capped the afternoon with a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh to take the nightcap and secure the split.

The Saints move to .500 on the year at 15-15 overall and 7-7 in Liberty League play. They now head to the University of Rochester to play in the Liberty League play-in game for the third consecutive season, against the very same Thoroughbreds.

Senior Day honorees Layne Fritz, Emily Siansky, Olivia Caporale, and Emily Crain were recognized before the twin bill.
 

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Game 1: Skidmore 12, St. Lawrence 3 (6 Inn.)

The Saints couldn't slow down a Skidmore offense that erupted for 12 runs on 11 hits in the opener. The contest was scoreless through three innings, with Siansky singling in the second and Caporale reaching on an error, but St. Lawrence couldn't scratch across a run.

The Thoroughbreds broke it open in the fourth, when Nate' Burley doubled home a run and Cortney Somsky followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. The Saints responded in the bottom half with a two-run inning of their own, as Isabel Moreno tripled home Allison Kloft and Siansky followed with an RBI single to plate Moreno, tying the game at 2.

Skidmore answered immediately and emphatically. The Thoroughbreds sent 11 batters to the plate in the fifth and put up five runs against starter Madison Smith, capped by a Sophia Finch two-run double.

Smith gave way to Hannah Reardon, who was greeted by a one-run error and a bunt single before closing out the inning. The Thoroughbreds added five more in the sixth and eventually ended the game later that inning.

Siansky had the team-high in hits, going 3-for-3 on the afternoon.
 

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Game 2: Skidmore 8, St. Lawrence 7

A wet and slippery back half of the doubleheader went to St. Lawrence, with Thompson's walk-off infield single in the bottom of the seventh capping a four-run rally to steal the split.

Izzy Melanson took the circle for St. Lawrence, working four and two-thirds innings before giving way to Smith, who made her second appearance of the twin bill.

Skidmore struck first in the third when Caitlyn Dion singled in a run and Natalie Mayne followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0, before St. Lawrence responded in kind. Caelen Jahnle and Kloft reached with two outs, advanced on a pair of wild pitches, and Moreno singled up the middle with a two-run knock to even the score.

The Thoroughbreds pulled back ahead in the fourth on a Dion two-run double, Dion being the story of the game for Skidmore after going 4-for-4 with four RBI, and again in the fifth on a Lily Canale two-run double and a Dion RBI single to push the score to 7-2. Melanson exited at that point with seven earned runs on eight hits, and Smith took over from there.

St. Lawrence chipped away, scoring two in the fifth on a Leah VerSchneider RBI groundout and a Marleigh Monroe RBI double to make it 7-4, then added a run in the sixth on a wild pitch to close within 8-5 heading to the seventh.



The bottom of the seventh became a wild finish. VerSchneider led off with a double, and amid a flurry of wild pitches, stolen bases, and pinch runners, two Saints runners came around to score before Emily Wendt tied the game with a single to make it 8-8.

Thompson then emptied the St. Lawrence dugout with the walk-off knock to third base, swinging away on a 3-0 count and plating the winning run to send the Saints home with a split.

Smith earned the win in relief, throwing two and one-thirds innings of one-run ball to close it out. Kloft went 2-for-4 and scored twice, while VerSchneider's leadoff double in the seventh set the rally in motion.