Updated Stats
ROCHESTER, NY – The Nazareth softball squad opened up Empire 8 play on Saturday, falling twice at the hands of the Stevens Ducks. Stevens held on for a 10-7 game one victory before taking game two 3-1.
The Golden Flyers drop to 7-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play, while Stevens moves to 14-6 and 2-0, respectively.
Nazareth returns to action on Sunday, squaring off against Elmira for a 1 p.m. start to the doubleheader.
Game 1 – Stevens 10, Nazareth 7
Nazareth was unable to overcome Stevens scoring seven runs in the first two innings.
Stevens jumped out to a strong start, scoring three runs in the first. Emily Siletti got things going with a solo shot to left. Two more hits in the inning scored a pair of runners for the Ducks.
The Ducks kept the bats going in the second, with five hits to score four more runs and take a 7-0 lead.
Nazareth was held without a hit until the fifth inning when
Annika Guiliano and
Delaney St. George delivered. Later in the inning,
Marissa Tortora reached on a fielder's choice to score Guiliano.
On the ropes in the bottom of the sixth, Nazareth delivered six runs to put the pressure on Stevens, making it 9-7.
Kristen Simmons hit her first-career home run, a three-run shot to centerfield. Later in the inning, Tortora hit a two-run home run to left. St. George had a sacrifice fly as well to score
Meghan Barry.
After the Ducks added an insurance run in the seventh, Nazareth threatened with the bases loaded.
Nicole White singled and Barry launched a double that hit the top of the fence and stayed in play as the very next batter. After a
Rachel Mertens walk, Nazareth was unable to take advantage of the bases being loaded with no outs.
White had one strikeout in the loss, falling to 3-2 on the season.
Barry led the way with two hits (2-for-4).
Game 2 – Stevens 3, Nazareth 1
Two errors in the fifth inning proved costly for the Golden Flyers as that led to the Ducks to pushing two runners across for a 2-0 advantage.
An infield single in the seventh for the Ducks gave them a 3-0 margin.
Nazareth's lone run of the game came on a home run from St. George in the seventh.
The Golden Flyers finished with six hits in the game.
Mertens (4-1) suffered her first loss of the season, allowing one earned run with four strikeouts.
Simmons was 2-for-4 to pace the offense.
