Siena Softball split a doubleheader with Sacred Heart on Saturday in the team's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opening series, dropping the opener 4-1 before bouncing back with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap at Pioneer Park.
 
SHU 4, Siena 1
In Game 1, the Saints (4-7) collected four hits but stranded 10 runners on base as Sacred Heart (3-10) used a three-run third inning to secure the win.
 
Violet Marta tossed 2.2 innings in the start for Siena, allowing six hits and four earned runs while facing 15 batters. Three Pioneer doubles highlighted the decisive third inning.
 
Sacred Heart opened the scoring in the second when Kaelyn Freed singled to left center to bring home Katherine Bur for a 1-0 lead. The Pioneers extended their advantage in the third, beginning with Charlene Davi's RBI double before Savannah Moor added a two-run single to push the lead to 4-0.
 
Siena broke through in the sixth inning. Emmalynn Skaff reached on a bunt single and later scored on Sarah Miller's triple to right field, trimming the deficit to 4-1.
 
Miller led the Saints offensively with the triple and an RBI, while Megan Klein added a hit and a walk. Chloe Cummings also recorded a hit and laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Emma Petersen added a stolen base.
 
Siena 2, SHU 1
Siena responded in Game 2 behind a dominant performance from Gracie Goewey, who struck out 10 and allowed just three hits in a complete-game effort.
 
Goewey also provided the Saints' first run of the game, launching a solo home run in the second inning to give Siena a 1-0 lead.
 
The Saints added another run in the third after Carlie Venables reached on an error and later scored on Cummings' RBI single up the middle to extend the advantage to 2-0.
 
Sacred Heart (3-11) answered with a solo home run from Nicole Henke in the third, but Goewey settled in and held the Pioneers off the board the rest of the way to secure her first win of the season.
 
Klein paced Siena at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a walk, while Cummings added two hits and an RBI.
 
Siena improved to 5-7 with the split, while Sacred Heart moved to 3-11. The Saints will conclude the series against the Pioneers on Sunday, March 8 at noon at Pioneer Park.