TROY, NY – Freshman Natalie Triano (Mountain View, CA/Colonie) set the program record for hits in a season and sophomore Amanda Pratt (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) drove in six runs on the day as the SUNYIT softball team swept The Sage Colleges by the scores of 11-1 and 6-1 Tuesday. The Lady Wildcats have now won 14 straight contests and are 18-4 overall (11-1 NEAC), while Sage fell to 0-22.
Triano, who is currently first in the nation in batting average, went into the doubleheader needing three hits to break the mark of 43 set by Tony Darling ('99) during the 1999 season and finished the day with four hits to put herself at the top of the list. She finished 1-for-3 in game one and recorded an RBI when she drew a bases-loaded walk during a five-run second inning. SUNYIT would add three more runs in the fourth and the seventh innings to cruise to victory.
Pratt led the way in game one, hitting a solo homerun in the seventh and finishing 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Kim Tarasek (Lowville, NY/Lowville) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run, while freshman Lyndsey Brognano (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), who is currently first in the nation in runs per game, scored a run and drove in two more. Sophomore Juleah Vedder (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville), who is currently first in the country in RBI per game, doubles and slugging percentage and second behind Triano in batting average, had a hit to extend her streak to 18 and also added an RBI. She also registered the win on the mound, allowing one earned run on five hits while striking out five batters.
Pratt again came up big in game two, drawing a bases-loaded walk in the first inning to give SUNYIT an early 1-0 lead and then hitting a two-run single down the right field line during a four-run fifth inning that broke a 1-1 tie. Triano went a perfect 3-for-3 in game two, extending her hit streak to 20 games and getting the record-breaking hit with a leadoff single in the third inning. She also scored two runs on the day.
Junior Amanda Myers (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) had two hits and drove in a run, while senior Tracy Lee (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) had two RBI. Junior Meaghan McGurn (Bethlehem, NY/Bethlehem) allowed one earned run on seven hits while striking out four to earn the victory.
The Wildcats will be back in action today when they host Potsdam State (5-10) for a doubleheader at Wildcat Field. Game one is scheduled to begin at 3:30 pm.
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