ROCHESTER, NY – Senior Janelle Walters produced four hits and two runs scored for the Nazareth College Softball team but the Golden Flyers were outscored 13-1 and 10-3 by visiting University of Rochester Tuesday in the first home games of the season for Nazareth.
The home games were not only the first of the year but also the first in 710 days since late in the 2019 season as the team was not able to play a home game last year due to the pandemic. The team did ply its Florida schedule in 2020 but the rest of the season was canceled before they returned to Rochester.
The run scored by Walters in the bottom of the first inning was the first run of the year for Nazareth.
After a 1-2-3 top of the first for junior pitcher Maddie Funk, Nazareth (0-4) went to work. Walters led off with a single past a diving third baseman and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Aubrin Smith. With two out, freshman Marissa Berghorn lifted a single to right-center field to score Walters.
After a scoreless second inning, Rochester (12-4) took the lead with four runs in the third but did not score again until the sixth inning when the Yellowjackets scored three times and then tacked on six additional runs in the final inning to secure the 13-1 win.
In game two, Walters had two more hits and again scored in the first inning for the Golden Flyers.
After Rochester scored four times in the top of the first, Walters led off the bottom of the inning with her third hit of the day with a single up the middle. Sophomore Lily Sullivan hit a one-out single to center advancing Walters to second base and Berghorn followed with an infield single to load the bases. Junior Jessica Klem walked to force home Walters and senior Katherine Ruoff lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to cut the lead in half.
Rochester added a run in the second and took a 7-2 lead with three more runs in the third inning. After single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, Nazareth scored again in the bottom of the sixth.
Klem led off the sixth with a single to left field. Ruoff reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a wild throw. Freshman Cassidy Hoffmier was sent in as a pinch runner and moved up to third base on a wild pitch.
Sophomore Leah Simon drove a ground ball between third base and shortstop that was bobbled by the Rochester third baseman which allowed Hoffmier to score.
Nazareth will be back in action Thursday with another home doubleheader against Brockport with the first game starting at 3 p.m. from Flyers Field.
