“We all had positive attitudes going into the games,” explained sophomore first baseman Jen Bach. “We were excited for the challenge because we knew it would be a real test of all the hard work we’ve put into our game up to this point.”

For Ithaca, junior pitcher Alyssa Brook finished a complete game, permitting only one hit, striking out eight, and allowing no walks on the day. In addition to pitching all seven in the first game, Brook also pitched four innings in game two.

The Bombers rallied for three runs in the first inning, followed by three more in the third and a single run in the sixth. Rensselaer senior pitcher Sara Finkbeiner shouldered the loss, allowing four earned runs on 11 hits in only 5.1 innings. Ithaca was led by freshman Amanda Forenza, who went three-for-five with one run and one RBI. Four other Bombers also tallied multiple hits in the 15-hit effort.

“The first game, we didn’t play like we know we can, but we didn’t give up after the loss,” said Bach. “We knew we needed to step up for the second game and refocus.”

Game two of the afternoon was a much more even match, with the Red Hawks drawing first blood in the opening inning of play. Finkbeiner, moving to center field for this contest, belted a single past the Bombers’ defense. After a wild pitch, Finkbeiner was able to advance to second base before getting to third on a sacrifice fly and eventually crossing the plate off an RBI single by Bach.

Ithaca responded with three runs in the second inning, but Rensselaer was able to pull within one off an RBI single by freshman Sara Heller that brought home classmate Kelly Erkert.

Despite many chances throughout the final four innings of play— including a near home run by Bach in the sixth—Rensselaer was unable to find the equalizer and fell by a score of 3-2. For the Red Hawks, Erkert went three-for-three with a run, while Bach finished the game with two hits. Sophomore pitcher Felicia Bua took the loss in a complete game effort.

“One of the best things we can take out of Saturday’s games was our ability to come back from a big loss [7-0] and make adjustments,” explained Finkbeiner. “We did not hang our heads and give up in the second game. We made those adjustments on the plate, made less errors in the field, and fought hard against a difficult opponent.”

Following the game, Erkert was selected as the Liberty League Rookie of the Week for softball. “It feels awesome to see that all my hard work is paying off with my game performance,” said Erkert. “I look up to a lot of the girls on the team and thank them for helping me become a better player.”

Finishing off the week on a high note, the Red Hawks took two decisions by mercy rule against neighboring Russell Sage College. Rensselaer blanked the Gators all night, taking game one by a 25-0 margin, followed by a 19-0 win in the nightcap.

The Red Hawks came out with bats swinging in game one, scoring nine runs in the second inning to take a 10-0 lead. Leading the way for RPI was Bach, who drove home a two-run home run—her team-leading fifth of the year. The team added three more runs in the third, before knocking home another 10 runs in the fourth.

Game two took a similar route, as the Red Hawks tallied five runs after two innings, and 14 off of 10 hits in the fourth to claim a 19-0 victory.