Game one box | Game two box | Updated stats
TROY, N.Y. -- Finally able to take the field Sunday after a series of postponements, the Nazareth softball team split an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader at Sage. Senior Madison Joseph hit a three-run homer and Gabriella Corasaniti pitched a complete game as Nazareth salvaged a split with a 7-2 victory over the Gators in the second game. Sage won the first game, 5-4, with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Golden Flyers were supposed to play at Utica Saturday, but those games were postponed due to poor field conditions and rescheduled for April 28. Nazareth's record is 5-9 overall following the doubleheader split. Nazareth hosts Rochester Tuesday for games at 3 and 5 p.m.

Joseph had four runs batted in in the second game with the big blow coming in the first inning as her third home run of the season followed a walk to Mackenzie Kapp and a single by Marissa Tortora. Another run came home in the third inning on an infield grounder that enabled Janelle Walters to cross the plate.

Nazareth combined four more hits to score three more runs in the fifth inning. Corasaniti and Kapp each singled and pinch runner Alexa Rossi eventually scored on an error. Tortora's third single of the game chased home Kapp and then Sarah Simmons followed with a run-scoring double.

Corasaniti failed to strike out a batter, but Nazareth played error-free defense behind her as she yielded just five hits to gain her second pitching victory.

In the first game, Nazareth led 2-1 in the third inning after Tortora belted a two-run homer to left field following a single by Kapp.

After the Gators took a 4-2 lead, Nazareth tied the score with single runs in the sixth and seventh. Katherine Ruoff singled and later scored on a ground ball by Walters in the sixth. The seventh inning featured a walk to Tortora, who moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Joseph. She advanced to third on a single by Kristen Simmons and scored on a sacrifice fly by Sarah Simmons.

Sage won the game in the bottom of the seventh off Nazareth starter Kylie Smith. Kiersten Duncan gave the Gators the walk-off win with a two-out run-scoring single to right field.

Nazareth had 10 hits in the game, including three for Kapp and two each for Sarah Simmons and Ruoff.