NAPLES, FL – Freshman Bella Romano had a pair of hits against Mitchell and fellow freshman Maddy Spakoski added a 3-for-6 day at the plate with two runs scored and a run batted in for the Nazareth Softball team but the Golden Flyers dropped a pair of close game with a 7-4 loss to NYU and a 5-3 loss to Mitchell as Nazareth dropped to 4-4.
Romano was the lone player with two hits inn the second game while Spakoski had two hits as well as sophomore Maggie Burdick in the opener.
Nazareth (4-4) had an early lead against NYU (7-3) with four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-1 lead.
The Violets scored a run and left bases loaded before Nazareth answered in the bottom half of the inning. Sophomore Megan Pum led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior Cassidy Hoffmier. Hoffmier was safe at first due to an error.
Graduate student Justine Brooks reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners with one out.
Another error allowed senior Sarah Simmons to reach as Pum scored and Brooks moved to third.
With two outs, Spakoski and Burdick hit back-to-back run-scoring doubles for the 4-1 lead.
NYU got another run back in the second and trimmed the lead to 4-3 with a single run in the fourth before taking the lead with two runs in the fifth and added to the lead with two more runs in the sixth. Nazareth finished with four runs on five hits and committed four errors.
Against Mitchell, the Golden Flyers took an early lead as Brooks hit an RBI double in the top of the first.
Mitchell tied the score in the bottom of the first but Nazareth regained the lead in the third.
Romano hit her second infield single of the game to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.
With two outs, Spakoski struck out swinging but reached base with a throwing error after a dropped third strike and Roman scored for the 2-1 Nazareth lead.
Mitchell answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and took a 4-2 lead with a run in the fourth.
Nazareth trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the sixth as Spakoski singled, took second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a passed ball. Simmons reached with an infield single to put runners on the corners and Nazareth used a double steal play to push the run across.
Mitchell capped the scoring with a run in the sixth to regain the two-run lead.
Nazareth will complete the Florida trip with games Friday against Westfield in the morning and against Emerson at 1 p.m.
