LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Softball (24-21, 10-6) stayed hot to dive back into conference play and begin its final home weekend of the 2022 regular season. The Saints extended their current win streak to six Saturday afternoon with 2-0 and 5-2 wins over MAAC foe Rider (25-22-1, 8-8) at Siena Softball Field.
 
Following Saturday's action, the Saints hold sole possession of third in the league standings, trailing only Canisius (12-4) and Fairfield (11-5). With four games to go in conference play, the Saints can potentially lock up a berth in the 2022 MAAC Championship with at least one win on Sunday.
 
Siena 2, Rider 0
 
Welcoming Rider to Loudonville for the third straight series, the Saints induced a pitcher's duel thanks to another solid performance in the circle from freshman Adriana Romano. After racking up a career-high 11 strikeouts in her last appearance on Thursday, the Barnegat, New Jersey product downed eight more batters via the strikeout to improve to 6-5 on the year with a complete game win.
 
The team's defensive performance allowed them to limit the Broncs to four hits while only recording two themselves. The Saints got on the board in the bottom of the third with junior Antonia Alba scoring on an RBI double from sophomore Isabella Pardo, and added their second run of the day in the home half of the fifth by way of a double steal that allowed senior Sabrina Vargas to score. Pardo and junior Emma McLaughlin recorded hits for the Green and Gold, while Rider stranded nine runs defensively.
 
Siena 5, Rider 2
 
The Broncs pulled out to an early lead to begin game two, with a 2 RBI single in the top of the first giving them their first ruins of the day. After starting pitcher Nicole Patille settled in for the Saints, junior Jocelyn Ulrich launched her fifth home run of the year in the bottom of the third to get the home team on the board.
 
The game reached a turning point in the bottom of the fourth, when freshman Kyleigh Potter was entered into the game as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and her team trailing, 2-1. The Queen Creek, Arizona native endured a marathon 13-pitch at-bat before popping a double into left center field to clear the bases and give Siena the lead for good. Sophomore Mikala Fletcher gave the Saints their final run of the day by coming home on a throwing error in the fifth.
 
Siena won the game despite Rider holding a 10-9 advantage in hits, with Fletcher going a perfect 3-3 to lead the Saints offensively. Patille (8-7) rounded out a superb day in the circle for the Green and Gold with three strikeouts in a complete game victory.
 
Following their second straight doubleheader sweep, the Saints have now recorded the third-most wins in a single season and have won double-digit conference games for the ninth consecutive eligible season. Siena will round out home play on Sunday, May 1 by hosting departing conference rival Monmouth at Noon and 2 pm on Senior Day.