NAPLES, FL – After dropping a shootout loss in a 17-12 decision to Lesley University, junior Kristen Simmons connected on a pair of doubles and scored a run as the Nazareth College softball team salvaged a split in the two games Thursday with a 4-2 victory over New Jersey City University to cap the day at the North Collier Complex in Florida.
Against Lesley (7-3), sophomore Janelle Walters and senior Marissa Tortora finished with four hits each as Nazareth (4-4) battled back from an early deficit turn what looked like an early blowout to a very close game.
Lesley scored eight times in the first inning and once in the second but the Golden Flyers answered with four runs in the first and three in the second to trim the lead to 9-7 after the first two innings. The Lynx added four more runs in the third but Nazareth rallied for four runs in the fourth to keep Lesley within striking distance.
A run for the Golden Flyers in the bottom of the sixth inning made it a one run game at 13-12 but Lesley rallied for four runs in the seventh to put the game away.
Walters was 4-for-5 with three runs scored while Tortora was 4-for-5 with two runs and two runs batted in. Freshman Sarah Simmons was 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI and Kristen Simmons was 1-for-4 with three runs. Senior Madison Joseph hammered her second home run of the year with a 2-run homer in the second inning.
In the New Jersey City game, The Gothic Knights (1-8) scored first with a run in the top of the second inning but Nazareth answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a lead.
Kristen Simmons started the inning with a double to center and Sarah Simmons followed with a double to chase her sister home with the first Nazareth run of the game. Freshman Maddie Funk added another double with one out to drive home Simmons for the go-ahead run.
New Jersey evened the score in the top of the third but Nazareth rallied for another two runs in the fourth to take the lead for good. The Golden Flyers took advantage of two New Jersey errors to score a pair of unearned runs to take the 4-2 lead.
Starting pitcher Funk allowed just one hit the rest of the way and put together a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh to seal the victory.
Kristen Simmons was 2-for-2 with a run scored to lead the Nazareth offense.
The Golden Flyers conclude the spring training trip Friday with games against the University of Saint Joseph at 11 a.m. and a 1 p.m. game against North Central College before heading back to Rochester.
