EASTON, Pa. – Despite a solid pitching performance from rookie Parker Rowden, Lafayette dropped a 4-1 matchup in the series finale with Colgate on Sunday afternoon at Metzgar Fields.
 
Rowden pitched 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks in her third career start. Kailee Sawai threw the final 1.1 innings and did not surrender a hit. Sawai and Rowden were matched by Bailey Misken who limited Lafayette to one run on three hits while striking out seven.
 
A day after setting the Lafayette single-season stolen bases record (21), junior Mary Grace O'Neill was ready to go in the finale. After nearly being drilled by the first pitch of the game, O'Neill ripped Misken's second offering to the warning track for a stand-up triple. O'Neill later scored on a passed ball as Lafayette took a 1-0 lead.
 
The Raiders evened things in the top of the fourth on Kiley Shelton's solo home run to center. Colgate threatened more damage, loading the bases with one out, but Rowden struck out the next batter and then ended the inning with a lineout to shortstop.
 
Colgate took its first and final lead of the game in the fifth inning. With two outs in the inning, Kara Fusco smacked a single back up the middle to plate one run. The Raiders added two more on a throwing error to lead 4-1.
 
Lafayette put runners on in the fifth (Olivia Catalina infield single) and sixth (error), but could not push a run across.
 
The Leopards will be back in action on Wednesday, hosting Monmouth for a single game at 4 p.m.