ROCHESTER, NY – Senior Megan Pum was 3-for-3 and fellow senior Emily Daciw tossed a complete game with 10 strike outs to lead the Nazareth Softball team to a key win over Elmira in the first game of an Empire 8 doubleheader as the Golden Flyers kept their playoff hopes alive.

Nazareth (13-15 overall, 7-7 Empire 8) won the opener 6-2 but dropped the second game 7-4. The games marked the end of the regular season for Elmira (19-17, 8-8 Empire 8) and four teams including Nazareth are in a tight battle for the final two playoff spots.

Alfred, St. John Fisher and Russell Sage have all clinched spots in the five-team championship tournament and two of the final spots will be taken by Elmira, Utica (8-8), Nazareth or Medaille (6-8). A win Sunday in the regular season final doubleheader against Medaille would clinch a spot for the Golden Flyers with the conference tie-breaker procedures.

In the opener, Elmira struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning but Nazareth answered back with a run in the bottom of the inning.

Graduate student Sarah Simmons pushed across the first run with a ground out that scored junior Cassidy Hoffmier from third.

Daciw had struck out the final two batters of the first inning and then all three she faced in the second and added a sixth consecutive K in to start the third inning.

Nazareth took the lead in the fourth inning as Simmons (single) and Daciw (error) each reached base before senior Marissa Berghorn singled home Simmons to tie the game. Sophomore Maggie Burdick followed with a fielder's choice and RBI to score Daciw for the 3-2 Nazareth lead.

The Golden Flyers opened up the game in the fifth with three more runs with the big hit coming off the bat of Simmons with a two-run double. She later scored on a sacrifice fly by Daciw as Nazareth pushed the lead to 6-2.

Pum led the way with three hits while Simmons and freshman Maddy Spakoski added two hits each. Daciw allowed two runs on four hits with 10 Ks as she picked up her 10th win of the year.

In game two, Elmira jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the first and one more in the second before taking a 7-0 lead with three more runs in the fifth.

Nazareth rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to narrow the gap.

Freshman Bella Romano singled to start the inning before senior Brooke Hailston and graduate student Justine Brooks each walked to load the bases. After a force out at home for the first out, Simmons cracked another double to right centerfield to score a pair of runners before Spakoski and Berghorn added RBIs for the four-run frame.

Seniors Hailie Bennet and Hailston worked the circle in game two and combined for three strike outs.