POTSDAM, N.Y.—Clarkson University (7-7) defeated SUNY Potsdam (0-15) 8-0 and 12-4 on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Golden Knights pitchers Olivia Zoeller (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) (4-3) and Emily McBath (Waddington, N.Y./Madrid Waddington) combined for six inning no-hitter in game one.
Clarkson scored a run in the first and third innings of game one on RBI singles from freshman third baseman Erin Greco (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) and senior centerfielder Sarah Vaccaro (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius). The Golden Knights added four in the fifth. Vaccaro had an RBI double. Senior designated player Kayla Robert (Woodridge, N.Y./Immaculate Conception) had a two-run double and Greco added a sacrifice fly to make it 6-0. Another Vaccaro single and a wild pitch added the final two runs of the game.
Zoeller struck out 11 in her five hitless innings. McBath walked one in her inning. Senior
Sierra Ashley (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Lisbon) allowed eight runs on 16 hits, while striking out four for the Bears.
Vaccaro was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs to lead the Golden Knights. Senior second baseman Sam Short (Minoa, N.Y./East Syracuse-Minoa) was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Robert was 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Potsdam scored first in game two. In the bottom of the second, freshman right fielder
Giavanna Marco (Mastic Beach, N.Y./William Floyd) singled to center and an error allowed freshman third baseman
Rebecca Holmes (Lawtons, N.Y./North Collins) to score. Clarkson answered with four in the top of the third. Vaccaro doubled in Zoeller. Freshman catcher Zoey Kovach (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) followed with a triple to right field that scored two. An error made it 4-1.
Potsdam got two back in the bottom of the third. Sophomore pitcher
Anna Brown (Ellenburg Depot, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) singled to right and a pair of errors allowed sophomore catcher
Kelsey Bennett (Hammond, N.Y./Hammond) and senior designated player
Hailey LaGiudice (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) to score. Clarkson scored three times in the fifth, the big blow coming off a two-run double by sophomore left fielder Katy Aldous (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) to make it a 7-3 lead after four and a half innings.
Junior first baseman
Anna Grottola (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) got one back for the Bears in the bottom of the fifth as she launched her first career homer over the fence in left-center field. Clarkson scored four more in the top of the fifth, including an RBI double from junior pitcher Riley Page (Norwalk, Conn./St. Luke's School). A Kovach RBI single in the top of the seventh closed the scoring at 12-4.
Vaccarro was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs. Kovach was 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Page was 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs. Bears senior second baseman
Vanessa Brandt (Saugerties, N.Y./Saugerties), Bennett and Brown were each 2-for-3 for Potsdam.
Freshman pitcher Devin Fitzpatrick (Saugerties, N.Y./Saugerties) started for Clarkson. She allowed three unearned runs on four hits and two strikeouts. Page (2-2) earned the win, allowing a run on three hits and striking out three in two innnings. Zoeller allowed one hit and struck out five in the last two innings.
Brown (0-8) allowed 11 runs, 10 earned, on 16 hits in six innings. Holmes allowed a run on two hits in the seventh.
Weather has forced the upcoming home doubleheaders with SUNY Geneseo and the College at Brockport to Monday and Tuesday. The Bears will now host the Knights for two games on Monday beginning at 3 p.m. They will then host the Golden Eagles for a twin bill beginning at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
