POTSDAM, N.Y.—Clarkson University (3-7) swept the SUNY Potsdam softball team (0-7) in a doubleheader on a cold and rainy Wednesday. The Golden Knights shut out the Bears 5-0 in the opener and won the second contest 7-4.
Game one was a scoreless pitcher's duel until the Golden Knights struck first in the bottom of the fourth. Second baseman Sam Short put Clarkson up 1-0 with a single to right. The Golden Knights extended their lead to 4-0 in the fifth on a double steal, sacrifice fly and a double. They tacked on an insurance run on a single from third baseman Kayla Robert in the sixth.
Junior left fielder
Emily Beck (Lowville, N.Y./Beaver River) broke up the Golden Knights' no-hitter in the sixth.
Riley Page earned the win for Clarkson, striking out eight in five hitless innings. Devin Fitzpatrick picked up the save, allowing the one hit and striking out two in the last two innings. Bears senior pitcher
Sierra Ashley (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Lisbon) (0-4) was solid. She allowed four runs on five hits in 4.2 inning. Sophomore
Anna Brown (Ellenburg Depot, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) allowed a run on three hits in the last 1.1.
The Bears got off to a fast start in game two. Freshman centerfielder
Danielle Moscarello (Arlington, N.Y./Mount Anthony Union) drove in junior first baseman
Anna Grottola (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) on a ground out to make it 1-0. Freshman right fielder
Giavanna Marco (Mastic Beach, N.Y./William Floyd) followed with a single to center to bring in freshman shortstop
Kaylee Dobransky (New Britain, Conn./CREC Academy of Science and Innovation). Brown made it 3-0 in the first after walking with the bases loaded to plate senior catcher
Hailey LaGiudice (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai).
The Golden Knights tied it in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly and a two-run homer off the bat of Robert. Clarkson took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of third on a single to left from Short. The Golden Knights added three more in the bottom of the third on a sac fly and a two-run single from shortstop Bridget Twaits. Potsdam got one back in the top of the second as Dobransky scored on a fielder's choice.
Grottola was 2-for-4 with a run. Dobransky was 1-for-4 with two runs. Senior second baseman
Vanessa Brandt (Saugerties, N.Y./Saugerties) was 2-for-4. Moscarello had two RBI.
Brown (0-3) went the distance for Potsdam, allowing seven runs, four earned, on six hits. Olivia Zoller notched the win for Clarkson in relief. She gave up an unearned run in the last three innings and struck out seven. Emily McBath started and gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits and two walks.
The Bears open up at home with a doubleheader against SUNY Oneonta on Saturday. Game one starts at 2 p.m.
