ROCHESTER, NY – Junior Sarah Simmons had five hits on the day and junior Aubrin Smith added a 4-for-4 effort in game two for the Nazareth College Softball team but visiting Russell Sage rallied for two runs in the eighth inning to win 5-3 in the opener and held on for a 10-9 win in the nightcap.
Nazareth (2-10 overall, 2-8 Empire 8) tied the first game in the bottom of the seventh inning as senior Janelle Walters and freshman Megan Pum each scored but Sage (7-1, 7-1 E8) scored twice in the eighth on a pair of hits to regain the lead and held on for the extra-innings victory.
In game two, Sage took an early lead with a pair of runs in the first but Nazareth answered with two runs in the second to knot the game at 2-2 with two bases-loaded singles.
The Golden Flyers took the lead in the third when sophomore Leah Simon doubled to score Simmons.
The Gators took advantage of six hits in the fourth inning to score five times and take a 7-3 lead before Nazareth trimmed the lead with two runs in the bottom of the inning when Simmons smashed a two-run home run to left centerfield.
Sage scored twice in the top of the fifth with a home run before Nazareth added three more runs in the bottom of the inning to narrow the gap to 9-8. Walters hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run and Smith followed with a run-scoring double. Pum capped the inning with a single to score Simon to make it a one-run game.
Sage added a run in the six and Nazareth was able to score once in the seventh when Smith had her fourth hit of the day to score freshman pinch runner Emma Garvey before the Gators forced a groundout to end the game.
Simmons was 5-for-8 with three runs and two runs batted in on the day. Smith was 4-for-4 with a run and three RBI in game two and Simon was 4-for-7 with two runs and a RBI in the two games.
Walters, Pum and sophomore Lily Sullivan each had three hits and senior Katherine Ruoff finished 2-for-3 with a RBI.
Nazareth is scheduled to face Alfred for two games at Alfred Tuesday afternoon and then play the Saxons in a home doubleheader Friday.
