Rochester, N.Y. - Big scoring innings from the hosts in both games of the doubleheader would prove to be too much to overcome as the Clarkson University Softball team dropped a pair of Liberty League matchups to RIT on Sunday.
Clarkson now holds a 2-19 overall record, 0-6 in the league as they turn their attention to Oswego State who visits Scott Field on Tuesday for a non-league twinbill with game one scheduled for 3 p.m. RIT improves to 10-12 overall while grabbing their first two league wins of the year as they move to 2-4 in conference play.
The Knights jumped out to an early lead in the top half of the first with Ivy Borkoski singling up the middle to lead-off before Emily Martin would hit into a fielder's choice which resulted in both runners safe at first and second. RIT managed to turn a double play in the next sequence but Borkoski would end up on third with two-outs in the frame and Kelsea Flanagan entering the batter's box. Flanagan made sure that Borkoski would not end up stranded as the freshman ripped a drive to left field that dropped in for a single and the game's first run.
Looking for more, Clarkson would go on to have three hits and three walks through the third, fourth and fifth innings but those chances resulted in five runners left stranded on base as the Knights clung to a one-run lead headed into the bottom of the fifth.
The Tigers bats came alive in the home-half of the fifth inning as three singles and a double to the left center gap allowed the hosts to tack on four runs of their own, flipping the advantage away from the Golden Knights. Clarkson managed to get one back in the top of the sixth as a Ry Garcia single through the left side scored Lexi Rydelek who had led off the inning with a double. The damage of the fifth would be too much though as RIT would get three straight outs in the sixth following the run and thwart a late comeback, sparked by a Borkoski double to start the seventh, to earn the 4-2 win in game one.
Garcia would be handed the loss in game one, giving up seven hits and four earned runs in five innings. Borkoski led the Golden Knights at the plate going 3-3 in the lead off spot while Emily Martin would finish with two hits as well.
In game two, the first inning would be all Tigers as the hosts wasted no time racking up five runs in the bottom half of the inning. Three singles and two doubles before the first out of the game meant the Knights would need to dig out of a hole, but with the entirety of the contest left to do it.
After a walk, hit by pitch and another walk loaded the bases in the top of the third for Clarkson, Emily Martin would force another walk with just one out, allowing Isabel Haspil to score and setting up for further runs in the inning. However, an infield fly and swinging strikeout got RIT out of the jam with a four-run advantage still in place.
After a lone run in the bottom of the fourth made it 6-1, Clarkson would get another in the top of the fifth as the Knights still would not go away just yet. A two-out single from Emily Bulone would be followed by Karyssa Parker entering as a pinch runner. Parker advanced to second on a passed ball before a grounder from Lexi Rydelek led to a throwing error from the catcher that allowed Parker to race around third for the second run of the game for Clarkson.
The "nightcap" entered the top of the seventh with the hosts leading 8-2 following a run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings. Martin managed to keep any comeback hopes alive, reaching on another infield throwing error before scoring on a Bulone double that was blasted down the left field line. Rydelek would then single to the second baseman but two straight pop-ups in the infield dirt meant that the Tigers would take game two 8-3, and earn the sweep on the day.
Bulone (2), Rydelek and Garcia accounted for the four Clarkson hits in the second game while Borkoski, Martin, Rydelek and Kendall Cuyler all earned walks at the plate as well.
