Until Tuesday afternoon.
Claflin drilled an opposite-field, grand slam home run to highlight a six-run second inning as Brockport softball completed a sweep of Rochester Institute of Technology. Senior
Stephanie Geer (Binghamton, NY/Seton Catholic) carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a 5-0 win in Game One, and junior
Jean Farrell (Rochester, NY/Penfield) held RIT scoreless during a 9-0, five-inning win in Game Two at Brockport's Clark V. Whited Complex.
The Golden Eagles (15-7 overall) picked up their first doubleheader sweep of the season, and in the process got head coach
John Dumaw his 300th win as Brockport's head coach. Dumaw is in the middle of his 13th season with the Golden Eagles, and currently sports a 300-179-1 coaching record, a .625 winning percentage.
Geer was dialed in during Game One, striking out the first two batters and piling up six strikeouts through three innings. Geer, a three-time All-SUNYAC selection, finished with 12 strikeouts, one shy of her season-high, as she improved her record to 10-1. Geer has struck out 91 batters over 76 1/3 innings pitched, and sports a 0.73 earned-run average.
“For our first home games, to come out and get these wins, it feels amazing,” said Geer, who pitched a one-hitter against RIT.
“I went right after RIT's hitters, go hard and throw strikes and not let them get a hit. My screwball was really working well today. They were really struggling with that pitch and I threw a lot of screwballs for strikes today.”
After a scoreless first three innings, Brockport broke through for two runs in the fourth. Sophomore
Jenna Yates (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca East) hit a leadoff double to right-center field and scored on Claflin's bunt. Claflin moved up to second base thanks to an error on her bunt attempt, and she scored Brockport's second run after sophomore
Danielle Sage (Oakfield, NY/Oakfield-Alabama) laid down a sacrifice bunt.
Brockport tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Sage singled to the left-side of the infield. Freshman
Shannon Westfall (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) pinch ran for Sage, and advanced to second on freshman
Sarah Rosenbarker's (Endicott, NY/Maine-Endwell) single to left field. Junior
Jessica Stahl (Brockport, NY/Aquinas) pushed the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single to center that scored Westfall, and junior
Liz Hochman (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) made the score 5-0 with a two-run single up the middle.
Geer got the leadoff hitter in the seventh to strikeout before allowing a clean single into left field to snap her no-hitter bid. Geer induced a groundout and got a swinging strikeout to finish off the win.
Farrell was equally in command in Game Two. In earning her first win since March 14, the right-hander allowed only four hits and struck out seven Tigers (12-9) while pitching five shutout innings.
“I threw a lot of good rise balls, fast balls and drop balls, but the rise ball was my go-to pitch today, for sure,” said Farrell, who ran her record to 3-3.
“It's a really big win for us. We needed this sweep and hopefully we can continue this winning streak. After Courtney hit that grand slam, I knew I didn't have that much more to worry about. I felt very relaxed pitching after that.”
With the bases loaded and only one out in the bottom of the second, the Golden Eagles scored six quick runs. Sophomore
Caitlyn Rana (Ballston Lake, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) coaxed a bases-loaded walk for a 1-0 lead and Yates hit a single through the left-side of the infield to make it 2-0.
That brought up Claflin, Brockport's Female Athlete of the Week, with the bases still loaded. Claflin belted a fastball over the right-center field fence for her first-ever grand slam, and her second home run in three games.
“I knew I had two strikes on me and I had to go for anything that was close. It was on the outside, so I just took it to the opposite field,” said Claflin, who never hit a home run prior to Brockport yet has four in two years on the varsity.
“It was awesome, just to know this is our first sweep, it's nice to have this. Our momentum should keep going tomorrow (against Buffalo State), and we have a big weekend with Oswego and Cortland at home, too. We're starting to get on track, now that we're able to get on our field and practice outside.”
Brockport tacked on three more runs in the fourth. Stahl had an RBI fly out and freshman
Erin Fleming (Friendship, NY/Bolivar-Richburg) laced a two-run double into right-center field for a 9-0 lead.
The game was called due to the Mercy Rule after Farrell got a looking strikeout to end the top of the fifth with Brockport still ahead 9-0.
Brockport travels to Buffalo State for a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday before returning home for doubleheaders against Oswego (Friday) and Cortland (Saturday).
