ROCHESTER, NY – Sophomore Lily Sullivan had two hits in each game for the Nazareth College Softball team but the Golden Flyers struggled at the plate and in the field as Alfred University swept the Empire 8 doubleheader with wins of 9-1 and 9-2 Friday afternoon on Flyer Field.
In the opener, Alfred (20-5 overall, 11-3 Empire 8) struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning.
Nazareth (2-14, 2-12 E8) cut the early lead in half in the bottom of the first. With one out, Sullivan doubled down the leftfield line and one batter later, junior Sarah Simmons singled through the right side of the infield to score Sullivan and make it a 2-1 game.
The Saxons scored a run in the second and then added three more in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. Another run in the fifth and two more in the sixth rounded out the scoring for Alfred.
The Saxons had 15 hits in the game and were also helped by three Nazareth fielding errors.
Sullivan was 2-for-3 while Simmons and sophomore catcher Leah Simon each had hits for Nazareth.
In the nightcap, Simon and Sullivan both had a pair of hits as well as senior Katherine Ruoff.
Alfred scored three in the second and then added three more in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead before Nazareth answered in the bottom of the fourth.
Sullivan started the run-scoring fourth with a single down the line. Junior Aubrin Smith followed with a single and both players moved into scoring position with the help of a wild pitch. Simmons reached base on an error that allowed Sullivan to score. A second fielding error loaded the bases with no outs but junior Jessica Klem lined out to center field and before Alfred turned a double play on a line drive to first to end the inning.
The Saxons added two more runs in the sixth and then each team scored in the seventh for the final score.
In the seventh, Ruoff and Simon opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Later, with two outs, Sullivan singled down the leftfield line again and Simon came home for the second Nazareth run of the game.
The Golden Flyers had nine hits in the second game and sophomore pitcher Emily Daciw tossed eight strike outs as she picked up the complete-game loss.
Nazareth travels to Houghton for an Empire 8 doubleheader Saturday and will return home for another conference doubleheader Tuesday against St. John Fisher.
