Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College softball team (20-14) fought hard all weekend long, but for the second time in as many games, the Knights were defeated in the final inning, falling on Saturday to The Sage Colleges (22-12), 3-1, in eight innings at Robison Field. The loss eliminates the Knights from the Skyline Conference Championships.
 
Hillary Faas got the Gators on the board first in what turned into a pitcher's duel on Saturday. She doubled to left center to bring in Kristen Beikirch to put the tournaments' hosts up, 1-0, in the top of the fourth. The Knights tied the game in the home half of the fifth when sophomore center fielder Sabrina Gordek (Levittown, N.Y.) reached on an error, scoring senior left fielder Nicole Petkevicius (Long Beach, N.Y.).
 
Both pitchers locked down their respective opponents, pushing the game into extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Sage's Jessica Adams blasted a two-run homer to center to put Sage up, 3-1, with the Knights down to their final three outs. Junior third baseman Danielle Soto (Miller Place, N.Y.) led off the inning with a single, but junior catcher Stephanie Karcher (Oxford, Conn.) found some bad luck and lined into a double play to leave the Knights with one out to go. Freshman shortstop Breanna DePasquale (Brooklyn, N.Y.) kept the inning alive with a double down the left field line, but sophomore first baseman Kate Zubicki's (Kearny, N.J.) hard-hit liner was snagged by the shortstop to end the game.
 
Lindsay Brace went the complete eight innings for the Gators, yielding just one unearned run and striking out eight while allowing nine hits. Senior pitcher Amanda Barrese (Staten Island, N.Y.) suffered the loss in relief, going four innings, but allowing the game-winning home run in the eighth.
 
Sage's hero Adams led the team with a 3-for-4 effort with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Faas went 1-for-4 with an RBI, while Beikirch went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Freshman second baseman Shannon Sommer (Brewster, N.Y.) capped off what has been an impressive rookie season with a 4-for-4 outing from the leadoff spot. DePasquale went 2-for-4, while Petkevicius hit 1-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Despite being eliminated from the Skyline playoffs, the Knights are scheduled to take on SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday, April 29, in a non-conference doubleheader at Mary Gray Deane Field. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
 
Follow the Knights on Twitter at @MSMCKnights