ROCHESTER, NY – After falling by a tight 3-2 score in extra innings, the Nazareth College Softball team bounced back to with an 8-0 decision in the nightcap as the Golden Flyers split an Empire 8 doubleheader against Houghton College Tuesday afternoon on Flyer Field.
Junior Maddie Funk allowed just one earned run over 10 innings for Nazareth (2-6 overall, 1-3 Empire 8) but surrendered a pair of unearned runs in the 10th inning as Houghton (1-10, 2-4 E8) escaped with its first win of the season.
In the nightcap, sophomore Emily Daciw allowed just three hits and struck out six for the shutout victory – her first of the season.
In the opener, senior Katherine Ruoff hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning to score junior Aubrin Smith to give Nazareth the 1-0 lead.
In the next inning, Houghton tied the score with a solo home run.
The score remained tied until the 10th inning. The Highlanders scored twice with the help of an error for the 3-1 lead and the Golden Flyers were only able to score once for the final score.
In the 10th, Smith lifted a fly ball to deep center field to advance Janelle Walters, who was placed at second to start the inning, to third and she later scored on a ground out.
In game two, Daciw kept the Houghton offense in check and Nazareth scored six runs in the third to take command. The big hit in the third came from freshman Megan Pum who cracked a bases-loaded double to score three runners.
The Golden Flyers scored single runs in the fourth and then won the game in the fifth with a run scored off a wild pitch to end the game.
Smith and Simmons each finished 4-for-8 as Smith scored three times and Simmons added a run and a run batted in. Pum was 2-for-6 with two runs and three RBI.
The games against Alfred State scheduled for Thursday are postponed and the next action for the Golden Flyers will be at Utica Saturday and home against Russell Sage Sunday.
