The St. Lawrence University softball team won their elimination game 9-3 against third-seeded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) before having its season come to an end in the Liberty League tournament's semifinal on Friday afternoon. Maeve Thompson had four RBIs in the opening game, while Allison Kloft and Isabel Moreno both went deep over the course of the day.
The Saints tied their program record for the deepest run in the Liberty League tournament, they also qualified for the conference semifinal in 2013.
St. Lawrence ends the 2026 campaign with an overall record of 17-17 with a 7-7 mark in league play.
Game #4 (Elimination Game): #5 St. Lawrence 9, #3 Rensselaer 3
St. Lawrence's scoring kicked off in the top of the first inning, when Maeve Thompson reached base with a single. Later on in the frame, Allison Kloft stepped up with one out and launched her first career playoff home run – a towering two-run shot to give the Saints the game's first runs.
The Saints didn't stop there, tacking on a quartet of runs as part of a two-out rally. Leah VerSchneider posted a two-out single, then Marina Juan walked and Marleigh Monroe cashed her in with an RBI knock up the middle, making it 3-0.
Madison Connelly was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then a wild pitch brought in St. Lawrence's fourth run. Emily Wendt was walked and RPI called upon the bullpen for reinforcements. Despite facing a new pitcher, Thompson came through in the clutch with her second hit of the inning, a bases-loaded drive to center bringing two runs around and making the score 6-0 for the Scarlet and Brown.
Following the first inning, RPI got a run on the board when Callista Adorno bunted with two runners on and one out, then the ball got away after a close play at first that featured some contact between the baserunner and the covering second baseman Thompson. That allowed a run to score, and made it 6-1.
The Engineers threatened again in the second, getting a runner in scoring position off a sac bunt, but Monroe slammed the door shut from the circle with a swinging strikeout.
St. Lawrence kept its five-run lead into the fourth, when Monroe led the inning off with a double down the left field line and Wendt walked, bringing Thompson to the plate and smacking her third hit of the day, this time for extra bases. The two-run double made it 8-1.
Monroe also reached base in her next plate appearance in the fourth, and scored another run Connelly unleashed a fly ball off the centerfield wall for an RBI double, putting the Saints in run-rule territory up 9-1. RPI responsed with an Adorno homer for RPI to cut the St. Lawrence lead to 9-3 entering the sixth. Monroe and the Saints shut it down from there, earning their first win over RPI since 2025.
Thompson had the best offensive outing for the Saints with three hits and four RBIs while also adding a run scored. Marleigh Monroe added three hits of her own, with three runs, an RBI and a walk. Kloft went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Wendt went 0-for-1, but reached base via walks three times and had a run scored.
Monroe finished her outing with two earned runs on three hits over seven innings, walking five, and striking out five for her second consecutive complete-game outing, bringing her season total to 11 complete games.
Game #5 (Semifinal): #5 St. Lawrence 2, #1 Rochester 10 (5 Inn.)
Much like the opener, St. Lawrence went to the offensive well early. With two outs in the top of the first, Kloft had a line-drive single into center with two outs to bring up Isabel Moreno. The cleanup hitter did her job, uncorking a two-run shot down the right field line and well over the fence for her first home run of the season at an opportune time to make it 2-0 Saints early.
Rochester had an offensive burst of its own in the bottom half of the inning, as the Yellowjackets pulled ahead and did not look back. They scored nine runs in the opening frame of the contest, making it 9-2 after the first inning.
After the first innings with a combined 11 runs scored, the teams only combined for one more run the rest of the game. The Saints received hits from five different players, including two from Kloft and two from Marina Juan.
With the 10-2 victory, the Yellowjackets booked a spot into the Liberty League Championship final against Ithaca tomorrow (Saturday, May 9 at noon).