BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - The Sarah Lawrence softball team surged out to a 7-3 lead in the second half of Thursday's doubleheader against Valley Forge before the Patriots put together a pair of non-conference wins in Bronxville.
Notable Performers
- Caileigh Koenig tossed all ten innings for SLC, striking out ten Patriots
- Malia Rode reached base five times, with three total hits
- Nicaia Sharp reached base four times in game two, including a pair of hits
How it Happened
The Gryphons faced a tall task in game one as Valley Forge jumped out to a 7-0 first-inning lead before the team's starter, Harley Wakeman, threw a complete-game shutout while allowing just five hits and inducing a half-dozen groundouts. A solo homer in the third added to the lead, before a trio of RBI singles brought the visitors to an 11-0 lead. The Gryphons attempted to get on the board in the second, but
Claire Rollins was cut down at the plate to end the inning. The team also put together back-to-back hits in the fifth inning, but the Patriots cut down another SLC baserunner advancing to end the game.
In game two, it was a different story offensively for the Gryphons. After a pair of UVF scores in the top of the second, the Gryphons got a leadoff single from
Shirin Pechefsky that got the team rolling. The senior stole second before Rollins added another hit, moving Pechefsky just 60 feet away.
Miriam Kanter-Goodell stepped up and grounded out to second, plating the first run of the day for SLC. An
Ariana Spanopoulos hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch gave SLC runners on second and third with a chance to take a lead. Sharp stepped up and singled up the middle to drive in a pair of runs and give SLC a 3-2Â lead. Back-to-back singles from
Kyra Johnsen and Rode plated another score and SLC took a 5-2 lead into the third inning. The Patriots added another score in the top of the third to reduce the lead to one run before another standout offensive inning for SLC added to the home advantage. The inning started with another leadoff hit from Pechefsky, giving SLC a chance for some insurance runs. Rollins doubled next to put a pair of runners in scoring position before Spanopoulos singled to drive in a run. A wild pitch plated Rollins before a groundout by Johnsen scored Spanopoulos to put SLC ahead 7-3. With eight combined runs in the next two innings, the visitors jumped into the lead once again, taking an 11-7 advantage into the bottom of the fifth inning. Sharp reached base via a hit by pitch in the bottom half of the frame, advancing on a passed ball and a Rode single before some confusion on a strikeout allowed the sophomore to score and keep SLC within striking distance. The Patriots were adamant for an early start home, however, scoring nine runs in the top of the sixth to enforce the run rule and return to Pennsylvania with a 20-8 advantage.
Up Next
The Gryphons (2-16, Skyline 2-2) will return to action on Saturday as the team resumes Skyline play against the Valiants of Manhattanville University. The Gryphons and Valiants will battle at noon on April 11th with a conference win on the line.
