ROCHESTER, NY – The Nazareth bats were alive and well on Wednesday night, as the Golden Flyers erupted for six home runs on their way to a sweep of the College at Brockport. Nazareth downed the Golden Eagles in game one 10-2 in five innings, fueled by four home runs, before earning a 4-3 victory in the nightcap. Junior
Meghan Barry connected for three home runs of her own on the day, including two in the first game. Nazareth's six home runs in the doubleheader matches the 2015 team total for the entire season.
Nazareth improves to 9-5 overall, while Brockport drops to 10-4.
Game 1: Nazareth 10, Brockport 2 (5 innings)Freshman
Madison Zeis hit her first career home run, a grand slam, in the first inning. Two batters later, Barry launched a home run to left center to give Nazareth a 5-0 lead after the first inning.
After Brockport scored its only two runs of the game in the top half of the third, Barry, who was playing in her first contest since March 10 due to an injury, delivered another bomb. The Golden Flyers led 6-2.
The hot bats for Nazareth continued in the fourth, with
Maureen Rogers hitting a two-run shot, scoring
Sarah Papponetti to increase the lead to 8-2.
In the final inning, Papponetti delivered a singled to the pitcher scoring two runners. Barry scored on the initial throw home and
Nicole White crossed home on the errant throw.
Nazareth handed Brockport pitcher Jaime Berger (6-1) her first loss of the season.
White improved to 3-3 on the mound, allowing just two runs on four hits. She struck out a season-high seven batters in just five innings.
Barry went 3-for-3 in the game with two RBI. Papponetti and Rogers each went 2-for-3.
Game 2: Nazareth 4, Brockport 3Junior pitcher
Rachel Mertens saw her scoreless innings streak (earned runs) come to a halt a 32.2 innings when the Golden Eagles' Brianna Harris hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh, bringing the visitors within 4-3. Two batters later, with runners at first and second, Mertens struck out Karleigh Eaton for the final out of the game.
With the win, Mertens improves to 5-2 with a 1.80 ERA. She allowed six hits, while striking out two batters.
Mertens singled in the first inning and eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
The Golden Flyers got back on the board in the fourth inning.
Annika Guiliano singled and Barry fired her third home run of the day to pick up two RBI.
Mertens got out of a jam in sixth inning, leaving two runners stranded. The junior came up in the bottom half, and homered to left field to score Nazareth's final run of the game.
Barry and Mertens each went 2-for-3 in the win.
Nazareth will next be in action on Saturday, when it will host Ithaca College at 1 p.m. to open up conference play. The Golden Flyers contest scheduled for Sunday, April 3
rd against Utica College, has been postponed to May 1 due to weather.
