Records fall as Gators Sweep CMSV
New York, NY--- The Sage Colleges' softball team faced the Dolphins of the College of Mt. St. Vincent on Saturday at the Baker Athletic Complex for the squad's Skyline Conference opener. Sage tallied a sweep of the Dolphins with a 7-0 win and an 11-3 victory.
The wins extend the Gators' unbeaten streak to a school record nine straight. The team bettered the mark set in 1991 when that year's team had an eight-game streak en route to the program's first 18-win season. Sage improves to 12-4 overall and 2-0 in the Skyline Conference. CMSV drops to 5-11 and 0-2 in the Skyline Conference.
Sage returns to action on March 25 on the road facing Purchase College in a noon conference double-header.
Game #1 Sage 7-0 CMSV
The Gators posted the team's seventh shutout win of the season by day taking the opener, 7-0. Sage's junior pitcher Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain), the reining Skyline Conference and ECAC Metro Division III Pitcher of the Week, collected the win after she scattered one hit and fanned nine in seven innings of work. She added a double to her performance at the plate with an RBI and improves to 6-2 with a team-best 52 strikeouts. On her career, she stands fourth all-time with her 120 career strikeouts as she is now 27 away from the career record set in by Kristin Hazelton (147).
Rookie Karlie Williams (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) was 2-4 at the plate with three RBIs for the Gators in the action, while senior Tiffany Bezio (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) connected on a triple and was 1-3 at the plate. Sophomore Hillary Faas (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) was also 2-3 with a pair of stolen bases to help the Gators to the convincing victory.
Game #2 Sage 11-3 CMSV
In the nightcap, the Gators led 6-0 before the Dolphins scored their only runs of the day in the bottom of the fifth. Sage answered right back tacking on three runs in the top of the six and a pair in the top of the seventh en route to the 11-3 win.
Sage's junior Rachel Smith (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) picked up her sixth win of the season after a complete game where she fanned nine batters and yielded just two earned runs.
Newberg was once again impressive at the plate with a 3-4 effort and a season-best four RBIs, while also stealing a base. Freshman Kindra Monahan (Fort Ann, NY/Fort Ann Central) pinch hit in the seventh inning and came up with a two run homerun in her lone at bat.
Freshman Kristen Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) was 2-4 with a double and a stolen base for Sage, while senior Meghan Welcome (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) was 1-3 with an RBI, and a double. She has seven doubles on the season and has elevated her career resume to 26 doubles, just 10 shy of the career record held by Kellie Jones (36).