Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – In the continuation of last Thursday's doubleheader finale, the Mount Saint Mary College softball team (20-12, 12-4 Skyline) fell to The Sage Colleges (21-11, 10-4 Skyline), 4-3, after the Gators walked off in the bottom of the eighth inning. The win pushes Sage into first place in the Skyline Conference to close out the regular season. Therefore, Sage will host this weekend's Skyline Conference Championship tournament.
 
The game continued Tuesday after being halted due to darkness Thursday afternoon with a 4-4 tie after five innings. Sage almost won the game before it was suspended last week after holding a 3-0 lead after four innings, but the Knights rallied back in the top of the fifth.
 
Junior catcher Stephanie Karcher (Oxford, Conn.) got the Knights on the board with an RBI double to center, and then freshman shortstop Breanna DePasquale (Brooklyn, N.Y.) followed with another double to bring in another. Sophomore first baseman Kate Zubicki (Kearny, N.J.) then knocked in Karcher with a single to right, and then DePasquale scored on a single by senior left fielder Nicole Petkevicius (Long Beach, N.Y.), giving the Knights a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.
 
After a leadoff double by Kristen Beikirch, Hillary Faas laid down a squeeze bunt to bring her in from third to tie the game. After the fifth ended on Thursday, the game was called due to darkness by the umpires.
 
Both teams went down in order in their first at-bats of the continuation on Tuesday, going to the seventh with a tie score. The Knights went down 1-2-3 again in the top of the seventh, but despite a single by Beikirch in the bottom of the inning, the Gators never threatened, sending the game to extra innings.
 
Freshman designated player Michelle Surdan (Acton, Mass.) opened the eighth with a single. She then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Petkevicius. After a strikeout, freshman second baseman Shannon Sommer (Brewster, N.Y.) picked up an infield single to put runners on the corners with two away. After Sommer stole second, Sage forced a pop up to get out of the inning before the Knights could take the lead.
 
Faas opened the home half of the eighth with a walk, then moved to second on a passed ball. The Knights got the next batter to fly out, but Jessica Adams then singled into left field, plating Faas for the walk-off victory.
 
Sage takes over the top spot in the Skyline Conference with the win, while the Knights are locked into the No. 2 seed. Therefore, Sage will open the tournament on Friday against No. 4 College of Mount Saint Vincent, and then the Knights will take on No. 3 Farmingdale State College.
 
Lindsay Brace picked up the win for Sage, tossing the final 3.2 innings without allowing a run. Senior pitcher Amanda Barrese (Staten Island, N.Y.) shouldered the loss for the Knights, allowing five runs (four earned) in 7.1 innings of work.
 
Faas went 2-for-2 with a run and RBI in the game. Meghan Roullier hit 2-for-4 with two runs, while Beikirch matched at 2-for-4 with a run.
 
Karcher hit 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run for the Knights in the loss. DePasquale knocked one in and scored another in a 1-for-4 effort, while Sommer went 2-for-5 with a run and a stolen base.
 
The following is the scheduled for this weekend's Skyline Conference Championship tournament:
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Friday, Apr. 25
Game 1 - No. 4 Mount Saint Vincent at No. 1 Sage - 12:00 p.m.
Game 2 - No. 2 Mount Saint Mary vs. No. 3 Farmingdale State - 3:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, Apr. 26
Game 3 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 - 10:00 a.m.
Game 4 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 - 1:00 p.m.
Game 5 - Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 - 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, Apr. 27
Game 6 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 - 11:00 a.m.
Game 7 (If necessary) - 2:00 p.m.

All games will be played at Robison Field on the campus of Sage  
 
Follow the Knights on Twitter at @MSMCKnights