Sam Miller '14 blasted her fifth home run of the season to salvage a split for Hamilton College against SUNY Institute of Technology in a non-conference doubleheader at SUNYIT's Wildcat Field on April 3.
SUNYIT (9-6 overall) won the first game 8-2 behind seven strong innings from starting pitcher Erica Hovey. Hamilton (6-11) bounced back with a 7-2 win in the nightcap.
In Game 1, Hovey scattered eight hits and allowed two earned runs over seven innings. She walked three batters and struck out one. Lauren Marleau led the Wildcats offensively with two hits and three runs batted in. Kwanisha Jones was a perfect 3-for-3, and Kimberly Tarasek doubled and drove in a pair of runs. Lyndsey Brognano scored three runs.
Katie Puccio '15 led the Continentals with a pair of hits. Ellie Kiernan '15 singled and drove in a run, and Cara Vennari '12 had the other RBI. Ashley Perritt '14, Melissa Kaknis '13, Amy Appel '13, Kelly Leonard '15 and Miller each added singles. Leonard surrendered nine hits, walked three batters and struck out 10 in six innings of work. She allowed eight runs, but only three were earned as Hamilton committed four errors.
Hamilton took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. With one out, Appel singled and later came around to score on a fielder's choice by Vennari.
SUNYIT took the lead for good with five runs in the bottom of the third inning. Jones led off with a slap single and Brognano reached on a Hamilton error. Krista Pristera singled, and one batter later, Juleah Vedder lined a two-run single. Bianca Brown followed with a single to bring home Pristera, and Tarasek capped the inning with a two-run double.
The Continentals got a run back in the top of the fourth inning when Leonard worked a two-out walk and later scored on Kiernan's single. The Wildcats added a run in the bottom of the fourth, and two more in the sixth inning to close the scoring.
In Game 2, Miller finished with two hits and three runs batted in. She leads the team with 25 RBI. Entering the week, Miller led the NESCAC in runs batted in and was tied for first in home runs. Appel singled and drove in a run, and Perritt extended her hit streak to seven games with a single in the first inning. Jenn Rougeux '14 scored a pair of runs for the Continentals.
Appel started in the circle and scattered four hits and gave up two earned runs over five innings. Appel didn't issue a walk, and struck out one batter. Leonard came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings. Leonard surrendered three hits, issued one walk and struck out two batters.
Brognano led the Wildcats offensively with three hits. Marleau added two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. Tarasek and Amanda Pratt each added singles. Vedder allowed four hits and two earned runs in 3.1 innings of work. Jae Dee Lavada held the Continentals without a hit over the final 3.2 innings.
Hamilton jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Rougeux reached on an error to lead off, Perritt singled and one batter later, Miller lined an RBI single to score Rougeux. Kaknis followed with a sacrifice fly to score Perritt.
Miller's home run in the top of the third inning stretched the Continentals' lead to 4-0. Hamilton went up 6-0 one inning later. Appel singled to lead off and later came around to score on an error, and Monique St. Jarre '15 scored another unearned run to cap the inning.
The Wildcats got a run back in the bottom half of the fourth, but the Continentals responded with another run in the top of the fifth. SUNYIT closed the scoring with one run in the bottom of the fifth.
Hamilton travels to Middlebury College for a NESCAC game on Friday, April 6, at 5 p.m.
