Siena Softball returned to action on Friday for the first time in 12 days with its opening two games in Madeira Beach, FL against Ohio State and North Florida. The Saints nearly pulled off a seventh inning comeback in a 6-4 loss to Ohio State before dropping its final game of the day to North Florida, 2-0.
Ohio State 6, Siena 4
The Saints took on their first Big Ten opponent since facing Rutgers in 2022 in facing the Ohio State (OSU) Buckeyes early Friday evening.
Gracie Goewey and
McKenzie Swinson tallied two hits each while
Cali DeLawder drove in the first two runs over her collegiate career.
Alissa Eimont picked up her first loss of the season after going the distance.
After an empty Siena first, Ohio State hung four runs in the bottom half - highlighted by a two-run home run. The Saints began the top of the second with a Goewey leadoff double, but she was stranded at third base. Eimont settled in come the home half of the frame, striking out a pair to keep the deficit four runs.
Siena looked to strike in the third as
Chloe Cummings opened with a single followed by
Ashley Giampolo walking with one away. However,
Emma Petersen popped into an infield fly, while Goewey grounded out to third unassisted to end the half inning.
OSU extended its lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the third on a bases-loaded walk, but the Saints came back with two in the top of the fourth when a two-out E4 scored a pair to make it a 5-2 contest. Siena had a scoring chance in the top of the sixth with Swinson on second on two outs, but came away empty still trailing by three.
The Buckeyes extended their lead by one in the home half with a solo home run, putting the Saints back down by four with three outs to go. With two on and one away, DeLawder launched a two-RBI double off the center field wall, scoring Petersen and Goewey to make it a two-run game. Siena eventually loaded the bases with two away, but Cummings was retired on a game-ending groundout to first.
North Florida 2, Siena 0
Chloe Cummings and
Carlie Venables had two hits each in the game.
Kaycie Kennedy was credited with the loss after four innings allowing two runs on two hits and four walks.
Gracie Goewey tossed the final three innings, doing so with no runs allowed on four hits and a walk.
North Florida (UNF) drew first blood in the top of the third. With the bases loaded and one away, a sacrifice fly to right field scored the first run of the contest - but Kennedy allowed no further damage afterwards. UNF added one more in the next inning on another sacrifice fly.
The Saints had a chance to find the board in the home half of the fourth with runners on second and third with two away, but
Ashlee Sweet flew out to right field on a full count to take the game into the fifth. The Saints squandered a runner on third again in the fifth before going down in order in the sixth, while a two-out Venables single in the seventh was all the Siena offense came away with.
Siena has one game slated for Saturday which is set to begin at 11 a.m. against Cornell.
