Game 1 l
Game 2 |
Updated statsITHACA, N.Y. -- Nazareth's softball team traveled to Ithaca for an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader on Sunday. The Bombers defeated the Golden Flyers 9-2 in game one thanks to a six-run sixth inning after Nazareth trimmed its deficit to 3-2 in the top of the inning. In game two, Ithaca scored 11 runs in the first three innings to take command early in the contest. Junior
Cydney Luke finished the day 3-5 at the plate for Nazareth.
Following the losses, the Golden Flyers fall to 10-14 overall and 3-7 in Empire 8 games. With the victories, the Bombers improve to 15-11 overall and 9-3 in conference games.
In the first game, Nazareth scored a run in the top of the fourth and sixth innings. In the fourth, the Golden Flyers loaded the bases with two outs. Following a walk by junior
Carly Pike, Luke and freshman
Stephanie Mongelli each connected with singles. Junior
Danae Wetherbee drew a walk to push home Pike and tie the score, 1-1. Ithaca's Laura Quicker managed to strike out sophomore
Meghan Barry to strand three runners on base.
After falling behind 3-1, the Golden Flyers sliced their deficit in half in the top of the sixth. Nazareth's first two batters reached base when senior
Sophia Rhoades led off the inning with a single to right and Luke followed with a single to short. Both runners advanced on Mongelli's ground out, which put the potential tying run in scoring position. Rhoades crossed the plate on Wetherbee's grounder, but Luke ended the inning on third.
The Bombers scored six times in the bottom of the sixth to extend their advantage to seven runs. The Golden Flyers initially avoided damage on a fielder's choice as Pike threw out the runner at home for the second out. Francesca Busa, however, followed with a two-run single, and Casey Gavin followed with a two-run triple. An RBI double by Kelly Robichaud capped the inning.
The contest had remained scoreless until the bottom of the third. Allie Colleran opened the inning with a double to right center. She advanced to third on a grounder and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Wetherbee took the loss for Nazareth after allowing 11 hits and nine runs, including three earned. She falls to 3-3 on the season. Quicker earned the victory for Ithaca to improve to 8-7 on the season. She allowed seven hits and two earned runs while striking out three batters.
In the second game, Ithaca took command early with 11 runs in the first three innings. Colleran ignited the Bombers' offense with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first. Ithaca finished the game with six extra-base hits, including Colleran's homer. In addition to Colleran, Gavin and Fleck also did damage at the plate as they combined for four hits, four runs, and five RBIs.
Allison Macari limited Nazareth to only four hits in five innings. Sophomore
Sarah Papponetti was the Golden Flyers' lone player to reach second base. She began the third inning with a lead-off single to right then advanced to second on a ground out. Pike, Luke, and freshman
Jenna Donald had Nazareth's other hits. The Golden Flyers' leaders in hits,
Maureen Rogers, Rhoades, and
Morgan Ross were held to a combined 0-7 in game two. They began the game with 68 total hits.
Senior
Nicole Bayona took the loss to fall to 3-6 on the season. She was charged with allowing 10 runs and 10 hits in two innings. She had two strikeouts. Sophomore
Nicole White came on in relief and limited the Bombers to one run on one hit with three strikeouts. Macari finished with five strikeouts to improve to 7-4 on the season.
The Golden Flyers are in action again on Tuesday when Nazareth hosts Alfred in another Empire 8 doubleheader.
