ROCHESTER, NY – Graduate student Sarah Simmons finished the day going 4-for-6 at the plate with two runs scored and four runs batted in including a two-run home run in the opener as the Nazareth Softball team delivered an 8-0 run rule win in six innings over Medaille. The win propelled the Golden Flyers to the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Tournament as Nazareth earns the right to host No. 5 Elmira Tuesday in the first round of the tournament.
Simmons had the hot bat all day as she was 2-for-3 in each game with a sacrifice fly and stolen base to add to her stat line.
Medaille (16-18 overall, 7-9 Empire 8) won the second game of the twinbill 3-2 to end its season with a win.
In the opener, Nazareth (14-16 overall, 8-8 Empire 8) scored a run in the first on a Simmons sacrifice fly that scored junior Cassidy Hoffmier and then Simmons connected on a two-run home run in the third to extend the lead to 3-0.
The Golden Flyers added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings as senior Marissa Berghorn scored on a ground out in the fourth and senior Emily Daciw hit a run-scoring double to push home graduate student Justine Brooks for the 5-0 Nazareth lead.
The Golden Flyers ended the game in the sixth with three runs as Brooks drove in Hoffmier before Simmons singled home another run and later scored the deciding run on an infield error to end the game.
Daciw worked the complete game victory for her 11th win of the season.
In game two, both Nazareth runs came on a two-run homer by Brooks as Nazareth took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Medaille cut the lead in half with a run in the second and then tied the game with another run in the fourth inning. The go ahead run came in the fifth with a run producing single.
Nazareth threatened in the sixth and the seventh but could not score.
In the sixth, Simmons singled and moved to third on a double by freshman Maddy Spakoski. Simmons was thrown out at home on the next play and the inning ended with a 6-4-3 double play.
In the seventh, Bella Romano opened the inning with a single and senior Hailie Bennett was hit by pitch to put a pair of runners on base. Romano was caught stealing which allowed Bennett to move into scoring position at second base but Medaille retired the final two batters to end the game.
Simmons was 4-for-6 and Hoffmier was 4-for-7 while Spakoski was 3-for-7 to lead the offense.
Nazareth will host Elmira Tuesday in a single game elimination game to determine the No. 4 seed for the remainder of the double elimination tournament that begins Thursday at Alfred.
