Posted by Isaac Baker
The softball team played to a split in its double-header against Castleton on Wednesday. Castleton took the first game 3-2, but Skidmore came back with a vengeance, winning the second game 12-1 in five innings.
The Thoroughbreds drew first blood in the opening game – Carol Brown '13 brought teammate Molly Canavan ‘12 home with a big double, making the score 1-0. Castleton responded with an RBI double two innings later to tie the game.
Skidmore then went up in the sixth on an RBI ground ball by Julia Schwartz '13. But Castleton scored two in the seventh, the final run coming on a game-winning hit with the bases loaded and two outs.
After this contentious game, Skidmore took the field again with newfound vigor, and demolished Castleton – warranting the mercy rule by exceeding an eight run margin by the fifth inning. After the teams went run-for-run in the first inning, Skidmore came alive and went on an 11-0 run during the remainder of the game.
Katie Peverada '14 had a brilliant two RBI double in the fourth that cemented Skidmore's dominion. Christina Gargiso '12 and Carrol Brown '13 each finished with three RBIs. After allowing just three hits and one run, Abby Fuhrman '12 picked up the win in just five innings pitched. Skidmore will play at Utica College on Sunday, April 3 .
Men's lacrosse
A big week for men's lacrosse and a strong finish for the riding team
With home field advantage, the men's lacrosse team won three games this week on the Wachenheim turf. The first adversary to fall was Williams College last Wednesday. The Thoroughbreds built up a six-goal lead by the end of the first half, the spread being 8-2.
Senior Ben Cornell scored two of the initial eight goals, and finished the game as the leading scorer with three goals overall. During the third quarter, Skidmore widened the gap with two additional goals, pushing the score to 10-2.
Williams responded with one goal that quarter, and then rallied in the last quarter with three goals, but it was not enough. The final score was 10-6.
The main contributor to Skidmore's success lay in its defensive fundamentals; the defense cleared the ball on 29 of 30 attempts, and stifled all but one of Williams' offensive attempts when it was man down. In addition, goalie Connor Dowling '12 made seven saves and improved his record to 3-0 for the season.
Three days later, the lacrosse team took to the field again, but this time against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Skidmore kept its hot streak alive, demolishing Kings Point 16-7. With the Liberty League opener just ahead, this was a great warm up for Skidmore: every player dressed got playing time, and nine of those players saw the ball into the back of the net.
By the time the clock showed 1:20 in the first quarter, Mike Perlow ‘13, Jeremy Goldman ‘11 and Bryan Connolly ‘13 had already scored, putting Skidmore up 3-0. This set the tone for the entire match, with Skidmore leading throughout.
Wednesday afternoon, Skidmore took the field against RPI in the League opener against the No. 8 team (Skidmore is currently ranked No. 19), where they upset their opponents in an 11- 9 win.
Skidmore took the lead early on, and held it for the entire game. Its margin reached its pinnacle in the third quarter when Skidmore went up 11-4. Though RPI rallied back with five goals in the fourth, the Thoroughbreds held onto their lead to win their first League game.
Jaques Ward ‘11, Mike Holden ‘13 and Perlow picked up two goals a piece; Dowling made 13 saves, contributing to yet another win under his belt. The Thoroughbreds go on the road this Saturday to St. Lawrence for their next game.
Women's lacrosse
The women's lacrosse team suffered its first loss at the hand of Trinity this Wednesday. This was Skidmore's first loss on the season, making its record 4-1 overall. After reaching a 2-2 tie midway through the first half, Trinity strung together three goals before the clock ran down, leaving the field with a 5-2 lead.
Skidmore rallied somewhat in the second half, but did not bring enough fire to smoke out Trinity players who maintained a lead for the remainder of the game. Lauren McCarthy scored half of Skidmore's points, secured three ground balls and controlled three draws.
Despite controlling more draws than Trinity, Skidmore was nearly doubled in shooting by Trinity, the deciding factor in this loss. Skidmore will travel to play RPI on Friday, April 1.
Baseball
The baseball team travelled to play a double-header against Rochester last Friday, March 25; Rochester won the first game 6-4, while Skidmore rallied in the evening and won the second 8-5. These were the first League games of the season for Skidmore, making its league record 1-1, while its overall record is 8-2.
Erik Watkins '14 lit up the scoreboard during the first game with a two-run double in the second. Rochester responded with two RBI singles and then took the lead with an RBI double. Rochester managed to stay on top through the nine innings, making this the first loss for Trevor Brucato '11 who allowed three earned runs and six overall.
The following game proceeded very differently for the Thoroughbreds – by the third inning, they had secured a 5-1 lead, and showed no signs of relenting. Zack Rudman ‘12 threw two no-hit innings, striking out four of the batters, and picked up a save. Nick Laracuente '11 got the win, improving his personal record to 3-0 from the mound, allowing only six hits in his seven innings in the game.
The Thoroughbreds will play away against Vassar this Saturday, and then host Vassar on Sunday, April 3.
Men's Tennis
The men's tennis team came out strong last weekend and beat the Liberty League defending champion Vassar on Saturday, March 26, in Saratoga Springs. The Thoroughbreds won all of the doubles matches, and won four of six singles matches, giving them a five point margin in their 7-2 win.
The team will travel to Vassar's courts to play Amherst College Saturday, April 2.
Women's Tennis
The women's tennis team lost to league rival Vassar Saturday, March 26. Nataly Mendoza '13 had a perfect day for Skidmore, winning both her singles and her doubles match. The rest of the team, however, did not share her zeal, and lost a few key doubles matches that made the difference.
Skidmore will travel to Wellesley, MA this weekend, where they will play TCNJ and Wellesley on Saturday April 2, and Sunday April 3, respectively.
Riding
The Skidmore riding team finished its perfect season with yet another victory at Morrisville last Saturday, March 26. The Thoroughbreds scored 47 out of the 49 possible points, edging out the No. 2 team, Morrisville, by five.
The Thoroughbreds will go to St. Lawrence University on April 9 to compete in the Zone Championships. Flavia D'Urso ‘13, Chelsea Jones ‘12, Kelly Campbell ‘12, Melissa Hillberg ‘13, Emma Weinstein ‘13, Hanae Kimura ‘11, Julia Mazzarella ‘13, Megan Merritt ‘11, Erika Wohl ‘14 and Cecilia Culp '11 were all class winners. Winning both of her classes, Campbell finished as the High Point Rider.
The Thoroughbreds will host the Regional Championships on April 2; Skidmore riders will compete for individual titles at their home course.