Softball Drops a Pair at Skidmore College

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The MCLA Softball team took to the road this afternoon for a twilight doubleheader at Wagner Park with the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds. It was the second doubleheader that that Trailblazers have played with a team from the Liberty League, following their matchup with Union College last Tuesday.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2025
• Game #1: MCLA 1, Skidmore 7
• Game #2: MCLA 5, Skidmore 17
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 12-20 (MASCAC 5-7) | Skidmore College Thoroughbreds 13-21 (Liberty 3-9)
• Series History: MCLA leads the all-time series 20-15. Skidmore won both games of a doubleheader the last times the teams met on April 5, 2022, in North Adams by scores of 6-1 and 10-1. MCLA won both games of a doubleheader the first time the teams met by scores of 2-1 and 12-2 on April 18, 2001 in North Adams.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Game #1
  • Skidmore took an early lead, scoring a single run in the bottom of the first inning, before adding two runs in the third and three more in the fourth to take a commanding 6-0 lead through four innings.
  • In the bottom of the sixth inning, Skidmore's Isabel Moreno knocked a pinch-hit solo home run to put the hosts ahead 7-0.
  • MCLA scored their lone run of the game in the top of the seventh inning. First year first baseman Allee George (Bennington, VT) led off with her second hit of the game, sending a single back through the middle of the infield. An error by the Thoroughbreds' pitcher allowed senior infielder Veronica Deacon to reach on a fielder's choice with George being safe at second. Two batters later junior shortstop Hailey Peabody (West Springfield, MA) lined another single through the middle to load the bases. Junior infielder Maggie Closinski (Rome, NY) then brough George home with an RBI fielder's choice.
  • Skidmore's Mallory Allen notched a complete game win, improving to 8-7 after allowing one unearned run over seven innings while scattering six hits and striking out five. The Trailblazers' Juliana Johansen (Pittsfield, MA) recorded her 10^th complete game but fell to 8-9 on the year.
• Game #2
  • MCLA picked up the first run of the second game when Peabody scored from second base on an error by the first baseman that allowed George to reach.
  • In the bottom of the frame, the Thoroughbreds sent 18 batters to the plate and scored 13 runs on 10 hits. The inning included a two-run home run by Moreno and four RBI for Jessica Nachamie.
  • The Trailblazers continued to fight back, clawing two of the runs back in the top of the second inning when Peabody singled to right field to score junior outfielder Cinderella Khoury (Waltham, MA) and senior catcher Madyson Torres (Dripping Springs, TX).
  • Skidmore stretched their lead again in third and fourth innings, scoring one run on an RBI single by Caitlyn Dion in the third and three runs on the third homer of the day by Moreno.
  • MCLA did scratch out two more runs in the top of the fifth. Closinski led off with an infield single before moving to third on graduate student outfielder Mady Teta's (Troy, NY) double down the rightfield line. George then lined a shot off the first baseman who recovered in time to make toss to the quick thinking second baseman who came over to cover the base, but allowing Closinski to score. Teta then scored on lined shot through the left side of the infield by junior second baseman Ella Staffier (Marshfield, MA).
  • The Thoroughbred's Rachel Monser picked up her first win of the season, moving to 1-0. Peabody took the loss for the Trailblazers, dropping to 4-10.

UP NEXT:

On Saturday, MCLA will be back in action when it plays host to Salem State at Shewcraft Field for a MASCAC matchup with the Vikings. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.

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