PURCHASE, N.Y. - The Purchase College softball team swept its Skyline Conference opener against Sarah Lawrence College on Sunday afternoon.
The Blue and Orange advanced to a 6-7 overall record and 2-0 in the conference, whereas the visitors are now 0-10 and 0-2 respectively.
Game One: Purchase 8, Sarah Lawrence 0 (5 inn)
The Panthers took off at the start of the game, scoring five runs in the bottom of the second inning to secure a strong lead.
Kelly Jennings (SO/Yorktown Heights, NY) kick-started the offense by hitting a double, to set up a scoring opportunity for the home team. Devynn Hernandez's (FY/Ossining, NY) sacrifice fly brought home Jennings, followed by Jade D'Errico's (SR/Wantagh, NY) double and Samantha Christopher's (FY/North Babylon, NY) ground-rule double, tallying up four runs. Tyler Salerno's (FY/Kings Park, NY) single added another run for Purchase, putting them ahead 5-0.
Purchase would strike again in the bottom fourth when Hernandez would triple through the left side and subsequently score after Christopher hit a single.
In the bottom of the fifth, Jennings kicked off with a double, eventually crossing home plate on Melissa Harper's (FY/Patchogue, NY) RBI single. The game concluded with a score of 8-0 in the fifth inning, as Harper capitalized on a Gryphons' error, crossing home plate.
On the mound, solid pitching from Olivia Goff (FY/Syracuse, NY), with 10 strikeouts and only two hits allowed in five innings, helped secure the victory. Goff now holds a 3-1 record.
Notably, Christopher contributed three hits and three RBIs, while Jennings added two hits and scored twice.
Game Two: Purchase 14, Sarah Lawrence 0 (5 inn)
Fired up from the first game, the Panthers came out strong at the bottom of the first inning.
Christopher's single ignited Purchase's offensive momentum, promptly followed by Salerno's single, bringing Christopher home and securing their first run of game two. Halle Greaige's (FY/Rye Brook, NY) powerful double to left field then brought Salerno home, extending Purchase's lead to 2-0.
In a remarkable offensive surge, Purchase College piled on 10 runs in the bottom of the third. Jennings started the onslaught with a double, followed by Rebecca Bronzi's (JR/Lagrangeville, NY) single and stolen base. Greaige's hit resulted in two runs due to a throwing error, setting the tone for the inning. Multiple hits and errors contributed to Purchase's commanding lead, including a ground-rule double by Harper and a double by Salerno, which brought home three more runs.
Consistently thwarting any attempts by Sarah Lawrence, D'Errico and Salerno crossed the plate for the final two runs, concluding the game with a decisive 14-0 victory by the bottom of the fourth inning.
Individually, Christopher had a strong game on the mound and at bat, allowing only one hit with 10 strikeouts, while also contributing three runs offensively.
Jennings contributed three RBIs and scored twice, while Greaige added three RBIs and one run. Harper and Salerno each added two RBIs.
Next on the agenda is a home matchup against Skyline Conference opponent Yeshiva University on March 10th at 3 p.m.
