In a college softball battle between a Vermont school and a Northern New York school, it was Vermont that took care of business.
Saint Michael’s College, an NCAA Division II program, picked up its 14
th
and 15
th
wins of the season in a two-game sweep in a same-day doubleheader against Plattsburgh State University, an NCAA Division III program.
“Our statement this entire year has been to make a statement,” said Saint Michael’s senior Jenna Devens. “Even in games that are not conference games, we really want to still make a statement and see how much we can improve each game.”
The first matchup was a close one. Saint Michael’s had a 2-0 lead until Plattsburgh took the lead, scoring three runs in the sixth and seventh innings. However, the Purple Knights battled back, scoring one run to tie the game in the bottom of the 7
th
, and then another in the bottom of the 9
th
in a walk-off 4-3 win.
“We definitely came in a little flat with bigger expectations than what we had,” said Saint Michael’s junior CJ Davidson. “I just knew we had to fight as a team in order to come up with a win.”
Davidson led the charge on offense down the stretch for Saint Michael’s. A hard hit ball which nearly landed over the left field fence led to the RBI double which tied the game in seventh inning. In extra innings, Davidson stepped up again after hitting a bloop out to right field which dropped down leading to the eventual game winning RBI single.
“It was so awesome,” Davidson said. “We’re a walk-off winning team. We love a walk-off, but I’ve never been the person to do the walk-off, so that was kind of my moment to just have fun and let loose and play Purple Knights softball.”
Emma Deo started the Plattsburgh State comeback in the sixth inning with an RBI double, followed by a game-tying RBI single by Michelle DeFina, which scored Deo that same inning. Sara Issacs drove in the go-ahead 3-2 run with an RBI double of her own, before Davidson took over the rest of the scoring.
Game two was all Saint Michael’s. The Purple Knights scored in every inning, leading to a 13-1 rout over the Cardinals.
Saint Michael’s gradually increased their scoring output from three in the first inning, followed by four in the second, to five runs in the third. That offensive outburst was led by Devens, who hit a pair of two three-run home runs. Devens was proud of how she responded in game two after what she considered was a performance not up to her standards game one, with no hits in four plate appearances.
“I struggled game one,” Devens said. “I was trying to find my timing in between games. I just went ham off the tee, and I tried to really find my timing there.”
Saint Michael’s will have four more games to close out their season with a pair of road doubleheaders starting on Friday, April 25.
Plattsburgh State will look to bounce back with four home games in a weekend slate of doubleheaders starting on Friday, April 25.
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Saint Michael’s Softball sweeps same-day doubleheader against Plattsburgh State
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