ORLANDO, FL - Women's softball went 1-1 in the first two games of the season against Ripon and University of Southern Maine. Against Ripon, Nazareth lost 8-5 after jumping out to an early lead. against Southern Maine, the Golden Flyers took the win at a score of 4-1. Kaijah Alexander hit her first career home run in the second game.

After day one of competition, Nazareth's record sits at 1-1 overall.

Nazareth falls to Ripon 8-5
Nazareth got right to business in the first game of the season, coming out of the first inning with a score of 5-0. In the first inning, Morgan Russo, Caitlyn Knapp, Madison Hicks, and Sarah Ferruzza all had hits and RBIs. Julia Maciag, Russo, Alexander, Hicks, and Knapp scored runs. In the bottom of the first, after two caught fly balls from Russo and Haleigh Suitor, there was a walk. On the first pitch of the next batter, the runner was caught stealing, Knapp to Ferruza, for an exciting end of the first.

The second and third innings were silent for both teams. Avery Zembeck racked up three strikeouts between the two innings. 

In the top of the fourth, Nazareth had a few hits, but left runners on without brining any home. In the bottom of the fourth, Ripon's bats woke up, putting up seven runs with two outs on the board. Hicks saw four batters in the fourth.

In the final three innings, despite being able to get on base, the Golden Flyers could not quite get anyone around, leaving four total runners on base in the last three. Ripon put up one more run in the bottom of the fifth to make the final score 8-5 in favor of Ripon.

Zembeck had a total of eight strikeouts and five earned runs in the game.


Nazareth defeats University of Southern Maine 4-1
In the first inning, Southern Maine threw the first punch with a two-out-run, and held the Golden Flyers to no runs to make the score 1-0 in favor of the Huskies after the first.

In the second after holding the Huskies scoreless on four batters in the top of the inning, the Golden Flyers evened the score with a run from Knapp off of a sac bunt from Ferruzza to go 1-1 heading into the third.

In the top of the third, Nazareth once again held the Huskies scoreless on four batters. In the bottom of the third, the Golden Flyers put up two more runs. Suitor walked, stole second, and then advanced to third on a sac bunt from Macaig. Russo then hit a sac fly to score Suitor. With two outs, Alexander hit her first career home run to make the score 3-1 heading into the top of the fourth.

The two teams were both then silent until the bottom of the sixth when the Golden Flyers scored with two outs. Ferruzza doubled with two outs to keep Nazareth alive, Zembeck then went in to pinch run and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Maddie Klein then walked and intentionally got caught in a pickle to score Zembeck before being tagged out. 

Nazareth once again held the Huskies scoreless in the top of the seventh to close the game with a 4-1 win.

Hicks pitched the full seven innings for th Golden Flyers and ended the game with three strikeouts and one earned run.

The Golden Flyers are back in action on March 16 for games at 2 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. against Gallaudet and Keene State for day two of the Spring Games.