Box Score
TROY, N.Y. – Sophomore
Jen Bach threw a complete-game shutout to lead the Rensselaer softball team to a 3-0 victory over Elmira College in the first round of the ECAC Upstate Tournament, at Doris Robison Field. With the win, the Red Hawks improve to 24-12 overall and advance to the double-elimination round. The Soaring Eagles conclude their season with a 16-11 mark.
Bach (Lansdale, PA/Gwynedd Mercy Academy) scattered five hits over 7.0 innings to earn her eighth win of the season. She struck out four – including the final batter of the game – while walking none and was also 1 for 3 at the plate.
RPI freshman designated player
Samantha Paulding (Baldwinsville, NY/CW Baker) broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning when she doubled to the gap in right-center, plating classmate
Sara Heller(Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) all the way from first base. Paulding later scored on a Soaring Eagles error for a 2-0 lead.
With two outs in the Rensselaer fifth, senior catcher
Julianne Bass (Costa Mesa, CA/Newport Harbor) homered to left, extending the Red Hawks’ advantage to 3-0. The home run was her second of the season and 25th of her career.
The Soaring Eagles threatened in the late innings, but could not scratch a run across. Stephany Fontinell (Shoreham, NY/Islip) doubled with two away in the sixth, but Bach induced a groundout to end the inning. In the seventh Cassondra McNitt (Sandy Creek, NY/Sandy Creek Central) reached on an error to lead-off the inning, but after pinch hitter Caitlin Roman (Verbank, NY/Millbrook) popped out foul to first, McNitt was thrown out trying to steal for the second out. Bach picked up the strikeout looking to end the game.
Paulding finished 2 for 3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
Becky Bailey (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) and
Jessica Sitzer (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills) each chipped in with a hit apiece.
Elmira starter Casandra Fontinell (Shoreham, NY/Islip) surrendered three runs on seven hits over 5.0 innings, before giving way to reliever Kelli Hadley (Colmar, PA/North Penn), who threw a perfect sixth. Offensively, shortstop Lauryn DePaul went 2 for 3 with a stolen base.
The Red Hawks will take on Union College in Schenectady on Saturday (10am) in the second round of the ECAC Tournament.