The softball team played doubleheaders against three teams this past week and finished 4-2.
First up for the Red Hawks were the Dutchwomen of Union, in a doubleheader held at the Doris Robison Field next to the Armory last Friday.
After playing two scoreless innings, Union put a score on the board when Marisa Jacques doubled home Audrey Brennan. In the bottom half of the inning, the Red Hawks would do all of their scoring for the game as they posted 4 runs, all of which were unearned as they were largely the result of fielding errors by Union.
With two runners on, Catcher Leanna Smith knocked home the first RPI run before Pitcher Shannon Smith drove in 2. Outfielder Melissa Fratine brought home the fourth.
Shannon Smith then went the rest of the game without allowing a run, as she held Union to just three hits.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the score flip-flopped, leaving the Red Hawks with a 4-1 defeat.
Union got up 1-0 in the second as they posted the only earned run they would get off of Fratine, who moved from the outfield to the mound for the second game. Union would then add 3 unearned runs as the Red Hawks’ defense simply collapsed.
The Red Hawks’ bats, which were relatively quiet for both games, were unable to muster any offense against Union’s Meghan Crowley. Rensselaer’s lone run came in the bottom of the sixth and was the result of Dutchwomen errors.
The split of the doubleheader left the Red Hawks’ record at 9-13 on the season.
On Saturday, Rensselaer took on the Continentals of Hamilton in another doubleheader.
The Red Hawks took the lead in the bottom of the first going up 1-0, and later strung together five hits to score another 5 runs. Shannon Smith shut out the Conts, giving RPI a 6-0 victory.
In addition to pitching the complete shutout, Shannon Smith went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Leanna Smith and Shortstop Stacey Eisenman each went 2-for-4, as Leanna Smith scored a run and drove one home, while Eisenman scored twice. Right Fielder Sarah Jurta went 2-for-2, and both drove in a run and scored a run. First Baseman Megan Porter and Fratine each went 1-for-3.
The second game would see the Conts finally break their scoreless streak with a run in the first. That would, however, prove to be their final run of the game.
The Red Hawks would tie the score in the second before scoring 2 more in the fifth to secure the win. In the end, the Conts couldn’t get much off of Shannon Smith, who struck out eight in the her second complete-game win of the day.
In addition to her work on the mound, Shannon Smith was strong at the plate as she went 2-for-3. Leanna Smith also went 2-for-3 and added an RBI for good measure. Porter had another strong game as she went 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. Jurta continued her perfect day at the plate with a 1-for-1 performance, while Eisenman continued to be an offensive catalyst with a 1-for-3 day and a run scored.
On Sunday, the Red Hawks took on Skidmore with high hopes of getting back to the .500 mark.
In the opening game, the Red Hawks’ bats came to life with 3 runs in the first. The run production continued as Rensselaer scored in each of the first five innings and built an insurmountable 7-0 lead.
Shannon Smith continued to stymie hitters and finished with a complete game shutout, allowing just five hits and a base on balls.
At the plate, Leanna Smith finished 3-for-4, including a 2-run homer in the first. In all, she finished with 3 RBI. Porter also continued to wield a hot bat as she went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Leftfielder Laura Feeney came out of a weekend-long slump to go 3-for-4, with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Eisenman improved on her already impressive numbers with a 3-for-5 with 2 runs scored. Thirdbasemen Christine Connelly went 2-for-4 while Jurta put in another solid performance, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The second game would prove to be a pitchers’ duel between RPI’s Shannon Smith and the Thoroughbreds’ Rebecca Marzalek. Both pitchers would have to make it through a tough first inning before settling down.
With the score tied at 1 after the first, both pitchers bore down and seemed to be in command. This pattern continued for Marzalek, but unfortunately for Shannon Smith, the Thoroughbreds put a run across in the fifth. The Red Hawks’ bats couldn’t muster any more runs, and they dropped the second game of the doubleheader by a count of 2-1.
The loss dropped the team’s record to 12-14, and meant that they will have to win two in a row to get back to the .500 mark. The loss also dropped Shannon Smith’s record to 11-9 on the season.
The team still seams to be finding itself after losing several key players to graduation. But the team also appears to be coming together, and some of the players are starting to step into key roles.
The pitching of Shannon Smith has improved throughout the year. If another pitcher can be found to compliment her, the Red Hawks would be tough to beat.
Hopefully the Red Hawks can build on this and finish on a successful note which will carry into next year.
