Siena Softball history was made in North Andover, MA, Wednesday as
McKenzie Swinson swiped the 57th stolen base of her career to become the program's all-time leader. The Saints improved to 21-14 overall, and 6-3 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action following their doubleheader sweep of the Merrimack Warriors with 8-5 and 3-1 victories.
Siena 8, Merrimack 5
The Saints gave starting pitcher
Alissa Eimont run support early in the game with one run in both the first and second innings.
Gracie Goewey tripled in
Carlie Venables to kick things off in the top of the first, while a Swinson triple plated
Lauren Melton in the second to make it 2-0.
Swinson notched her second RBI of the game in the top of the fourth, singling home Melton to make it 3-1 after Merrimack notched a run in the bottom of the third. The senior proceeded to swipe second base to tie the all-time program stolen base record with the 56th of her career. This led way to three more runs being scored thanks to a
Chloe Cummings RBI single,
Emma Petersen RBI double, and
Mckenzie Faherty coming in on a wild pitch to make it a 6-1 game.
Then in the top of the fifth, Swinson walked to set up her record breaking 57th career stolen base. Siena came away empty in the frame, while the Warriors put up four runs to come within one entering the sixth.
Petersen gave the Saints and Eimont some breathing room in the ensuing half inning, driving in two more on a double to make it an 8-5 game. And that's how things stood as Eimont faced just seven batters over the final two innings to pick up her 11th win of the season, and 11th complete game.
In the game, Venables (13), Swinson (12), and Goewey (11) each extended on-base streaks, while Petersen collected her first three-hit game of the season (3-4), as well as her first three-RBI game.
Siena 3, Merrimack 1
Kaycie Kennedy tossed a clean first inning before escaping the second following a pair of free passes that left the Warriors with a runner in scoring position. Siena struck in the top of the third when
Emma Petersen delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to score
Gracie Goewey and
McKenzie Swinson - serving as her sixth multi-RBI game of the year.
The senior Kennedy set the side down in order in the third before giving up her lone blemish of the day in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out single that cut Merrimack's deficit to one run. However, she returned to form in the fifth by putting the Warriors down in order once again.
Siena added an insurance run in the top of the sixth. As part of a 2-2 game at the plate,
Ella Milante drove in
Jazlyn Small-Yu on a base knock. Kennedy worked around leadoff walks in both the sixth and seventh innings to retire the following three batters in order in both innings to complete the sweep.
Kennedy secured her eighth victory of the season, and faced just six batters over the minimum en route to her sixth complete game. Swinson and Goewey added a game to their on-base streaks as well.
The Saints return to the Capital Region Thursday to take on crosstown rival UAlbany for a single game at 2 p.m. from UAlbany Field.
