SCHENECTADY — With a first-inning uprising and plenty of off-speed pitches from Deb Schildt, Guilderland cooled off the Big 10’s hottest softball team Tuesday in a non-league game.

Michelle Giwerc and Marissa Valletta smacked run-scoring singles in a five-run first-inning, and Schildt took a shutout into the seventh in Guilderland’s 8-1 victory over Schen­ectady.

The Patriots had won six straight games, capped by Monday’s

dramatic 6-5, eight-inning triumph over Troy, which left those teams tied for first in the Big 10.

“The girls dug deep yesterday and pulled it out,” said Schenec­tady coach Karen Dafner. “I don’t know what to say. I’m not making excuses. They just didn’t play with a lot of heart today.”

Guilderland played inspired ball, starting with a brisk warm-up and then batting around in the first inning. The Lady Dutch (13-6) added three more runs in the fifth, highlighted by Valletta’s two-run single.

“For our team, it’s really important to start well,” said Giwerc, a senior third baseman who finished with three singles and scored two runs. “We’ve learned that when we start well, we usually do well.

“Our energy was up. We had a good warm-up. I think that was the key.”

Schildt had much to do with the outcome, as well, with the jun­ior righty scattering four singles while striking out five and walking one. The backup to Guilderland ace Jenn McCutcheon, Schildt also shut down Schenectady (7-9) earlier in the season in a 13-0 triumph.

“I think Deb is a great pitcher. She stepped it up big-time,” Giwerc said. “She has so many different pitches, and she can trick anyone with her off-speed pitch. No one can hit it.”

Schenectady had only two singles before Shannon Riedy and Alexa Lawyer added two more to open the home seventh, and Riedy later scored when Jaklyn Adams hit into a fielder’s choice.

“Deb is a very positive influence when she’s on the mound,” Guilderland coach Jen Ficarra said of Schildt,

who usually starts at shortstop. “She’s very composed. She keeps it together when they get hits.”

Guilderland’s key hits in the opening inning came after Riedy walked Rebecca Fitzgerald, and Schildt and Morgan Ten Eyck reached on back-to-back errors. Those fielding mistakes and a wild pitch in between gave the Lady Dutch a quick 1-0 lead.

“Maybe we were drained from yesterday, but you can’t be when you’re a varsity team,” said Dafner, whose club has won seven of nine games since starting the season at 0-7.

“You have to pull your emotions up every day, every inning, every pitch. You can’t let up because ultimately, there’s a goal at the end of the road there. You’ve got to show people every day what you’re about, not just in league games.”

Schenectady has league games today against Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons and Thursday against Catholic Central, and will be looking to add to its 7-2 Big 10 mark.

“We’ve got to pick our heads up and bounce back. Today is done. Everyone has an off day,” Dafner said. “I think they’ll bounce back strong.”

Guilderland displayed a strong lineup against one of the Big 10’s elite hurlers in Riedy, a senior righty who has authored two

no-hitters and three one-hitters this season. Riedy had allowed 12 hits during Schenectady’s six-game win streak, but surrendered nine Tuesday, including a pair of singles by eight-grader Taylor Ten Eyck.

“We’ve got a lot of good hitters,” said Ficarra, noting that five of her team’s nine hits came from Giwerc and Valletta, her sixth and eighth batters. “Not everyone can bat cleanup.”

Taylor Van Eych was in that spot, and singled to load the bases in the first inning. Sara Heller followed with a sacrifice fly, Giwerc hit an RBI single, Nicky Marucci plated a run with a groundout and Valletta added another RBI single.

Meryl Kremer hit an RBI single in the fifth before Valletta delivered two more runs.

“We haven’t been getting the early lead as much as I wish we were,” said Ficarra. “I always get on them about that. They know what I expect.”

Guilderland is 6-5 in the Suburban Council, and needs one win to qualify for the Section II Class AA tournament. Guilderland hosts Shenendehowa today.

“We’re going to try to come out hard against them, like we did today,” said Giwerc, a field hockey and softball standout who is headed to the University of Rochester. “That’s a big game. We want to make it to the sectionals and make it a big year for Guilderland.”

Guilderland 500 030 0 — 8 9 2

Schenectady 000 000 1 — 1 4 2

Schildt and Heller; Riedy and Van Buren, Cassetta (5).