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Union softball sweeps Knights with pair of shutouts

Posted 4/14/18

Potsdam, NY – Makayla Koehler and Dana Dolinko each held the Clarkson University Softball team in check on Friday afternoon as Union College swept a Liberty League doubleheader from the Golden …

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Union softball sweeps Knights with pair of shutouts

Posted

Potsdam, NY – Makayla Koehler and Dana Dolinko each held the Clarkson University Softball team in check on Friday afternoon as Union College swept a Liberty League doubleheader from the Golden Knights 2-0 and 5-0 at Scott Field.

The Golden Knights dropped to 5-16-1 on the season and 0-2 in conference games, while Union improved to 5-11 and 3-1 in league contests. Clarkson will head to Ithaca for a doubleheader on Saturday.

In the opener, Union plated both of its runs in the first inning and then followed with Makayla Koehler wiggling out of trouble in the third, fourth, and sixth innings. Dana Dolinko reached on a walk in the top of the first and Courtney Casey singled to left to put two runners on with one out. After a groundout moved both runners up and into scoring position, Sam Mennig got the groundball she needed to get out of the inning, but the ball scooted through the infield and both runners scored on the miscue. The Dutchwomen would not put a runner in scoring position again until the sixth inning.

Clarkson went down in order in both the first and second innings, but Kyrstin Messier doubled to right field to lead off the third. Sam Mennig then singled to center, but Messier couldn't move up on the blooper. Danielle Whitham pushed the runners up on a sacrifice bunt, but both Hannah Bowen and Summer Lancette were retired despite hard hit balls to end the threat.

In the fourth, the Knights again had runners on second and third after an error in left field, but could not push a run across with either of the next two hitters. The sixth saw the same results as runners on the corners were not cashed in and Clarkson ended on the wrong end of the shutout.

Koehler gained the win for the Dutchwomen, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out six over seven innings. Sam Mennig allowed nine hits in seven frames, giving up two unearned runs and whiffing four. Bridget Woolley was 2-for-3 for the Knights while both Koehler and Carli Voellm recorded a pair of hits for Union.

In game two, the Dutchwomen started off the same as they did in the opener, pushing two runs across. This time it was a two-run homer from Kendall Rogoff to left that plated a pair, scoring Stuart Buxton who had led off the inning with a single. Clarkson threatened in the bottom half of the first with runners on second and third, but a groundout ended the hope of a run for the Knights.

The Dutchwomen picked up another run in the top of the third when Courtney Casey led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. It appeared as if the Knights would escape without any damage after a line out, but Koehler singled to right to plate the Dutchwomen's third run. Union pushed two more runs across in the fourth inning as Carli Voellm led off with a double and pinch-runner Gigi Kieltyka later scored on a groundout, while Courtney Casey singled home Stuart Buxton to make it 5-0.

Clarkson put runners on second and third in the bottom of the fourth, looking to respond to Union's offense, but after Kat Plescow and Liz Caggiano each singled, neither could advance home when the next three hitters grounded out. Following that, the Knights didn't put another runner on base.

Dana Dolinko pitched to contact throughout the game, allowing four hits and a walk with no strikeouts in her complete game effort. For Clarkson, Leah Allen took the loss with four earned runs in three innings. Maggie Stark allowed one run over the final four frames.