Knights Walk-Off Game 1 with Fitzpatrick Grand-Slam, Earn Series Sweep over Skidmore

Potsdam, N.Y.- Double-digits filled the runs column in both games as the Clarkson University Softball team cruised past Skidmore College, 10-0 and 11-3, Saturday afternoon at Scott Field. 

With the wins Clarkson improves to 22-13, 10-4 in the Liberty League. Having already clinched a playoff berth, the Knights await other results from around the league to determine seeding. 

The opening contest of the day was all Golden Knights on the scoreboard. In the bottom of the first, Zoey Kovach connected on a sharp double to the left field gap, scoring Isabel Haspil. The double from Kovach would tie the Clarkson Softball single season record for doubles in a season at 14. In the very next at-bat Devin Fitzpatrick produced a double of her own down the left field line to plate Kovach and take a 2-0 lead.

Fitzpatrick would continue to help her cause on the mound in the bottom of the third, this time blasting a pitch to straightaway center that cleared the fence easily, scoring Kovach again and doubling the advantage. The homer from the senior would tie the Liberty League record of homeruns in a season (13) that had been held since 2015. 

Into the bottom of the fourth, Elissa Uveino managed to beat out an infield single to the shortstop, allowing Emma Sabourin to score from third. Another Kovach hit in the ensuing at-bat, this time a single through the left side pushed the lead to 6-0, as Haspil would cross home again. 

With the six run lead intact, the Knights would load the bases in the bottom of the sixth with Fitzpatrick stepping up to the plate. Fitzpatrick would foul off two pitches in the at-bat that would have cleared the left-field wall before finally striping a pitch down the middle over the left-center wall, clearing the bases with a walk-off grand slam for game one. The second homer of the game from the senior would give her the new record for Liberty league homers in a season with 14 round-trippers. 

Haspil, Kovach and Fitzpatrick would all produce multiple hits for the Knights with Fitzpatrick registering seven RBIs. Fitzpatrick would also go the distance on the mound for Clarkson, striking out seven while allowing just four hits through six innings. 

Skidmore would threaten early in the second game, loading the bases with no outs. Bella Hotchkiss, in the circle for the Knights, would go on to force an infield fly and strike out the next two batters to keep the scores level at 0-0. Clarkson broke through with four in the bottom half of the frame as Fitzpatrick, Emily Bulone and Kaya Johnson all drove in runs with Johnson scoring on a wild pitch to end the early scoring. 

After Skidmore managed to push one across in the top half of the second, Clarkson would answer with five more. A Kovach single to center, sac fly from Johnson, a draw walk from Elizabeth Greco and another wild pitch would account for the runs as the Knights would lead 9-1 after two. 

Clarkson would score another in the second as Genevieve Mucitelli earned an RBI on a fielder’s choice. Another lone Skidmore run in the top of the fourth was matched by the Knights, this time courtesy of a Briget Kerwin single to center pushing the gap to 11-2. A solo homer by Skidmore in the top of the fifth would not be enough to avoid the run-rule, with Amanda Corrice working out of a bases-jammed situation of her own to earn the victory. 

Haspil, Kovach, Fitzpatrick and Johnson all managed multiple hits in the nightcap with Johnson and Kovach driving in two runs apiece. Corrice would earn the win coming in for Hotchkiss with the latter going three innings, striking out five and the former tossing two innings in relief.