Saints softball played RIT in a doubleheader on Friday, April 14.  Their big win came in game one with Madison Mitchell, number 19, a first year from Lincoln California, in as the starting pitcher.  She threw three and one third innings, giving up only three runs.  The game began with a strikeout looking delivered by Mitchell to RIT’s shortstop.  There was only one successful base hit for RIT in the first three innings, a single to center.

In contrast, the Saints were on base quickly by the second inning when the left fielder, Caitlin Syphurs, got on with a single and was sent home by Angelina Carney’s single past the short stop, bringing the score to 1-0, Saints in the bottom of the second.  After RIT failed to respond to SLU’s run by scoring zero runs in the top of the third inning, the Saints added to their lead in the bottom of the inning by scoring three runs.  The first batter for the Saints, Deanna Sullivan, drove a single into center field, and the speedy Taylor Armijo moved her teammate along the bases by beating out the throw to first after bunting down the third base line. The big hit of the inning was Emma Reakes’ double into left field with the bases loaded, bringing in Armijo, second baseman Elle Gray, and left fielder Syphurs.  When the third inning came to a close, the Saints were in the lead 4-0.

The Saints got a scare in the top of the fourth inning when RIT’s first batter, Alexa Farner, began the inning with a bunt for a base hit.  More small ball was played by the next batter, lead-off hitter Erin Guinan, when she sacrifice bunted to move Farner to second base. Number two batter, Danielle Hotz, hit an RBI, sending Farner home from second and giving RIT their first run of the game.  With Hotz on first, Tori Blaker doubled, bringing Hotz in to score and making the score 4-2, Saints ahead. At this point, the Saints head coach, Elisa Van Kirk, chose to take out Mitchell and put in Allie Courtwright for relief.

Alexandria Lunderman grounded out to shortstop for the second out of the inning.  The trouble continued when Courtwright walked the next batter , the Saints third baseman misplayed a ball hit to her, and Courtwright gave up another walk, bringing in RIT’s third run.  Before too much damage occurred, Courtwright managed to strikeout RIT’s shortstop to end the top of the fourth inning with the Saints ahead 4-3.

From there, the Saints played hard defense to hold RIT at three runs. They showed strong offense with impressive hits from Carney, Hyatt, and Sullivan throughout the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.  Courtwright’s pitching remained effective through the rest of the game, striking out three batters and giving up zero earned runs.  An impressive running catch was made by center fielder Armijo, running from center field into right field.

The Saints played hard in the doubleheader, with the final score of game one 4-3.  Strong pitching, restless hitting, and fast defensive plays got them the win!