ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Bats were hot at Flyer Field on Thursday evening in the double header between Nazareth and SUNY Geneseo. The Golden Flyers split with the Knights, dropping the first game 9-4 and taking the second 17-15 with a walk-off three run homer by
Haleigh Suitor in the bottom of the seventh. Nazareth's win in game two marks the first Golden Flyer win over Geneseo since 2016.
With the split, the Golden Flyers are now 11-8 overall and 5-3 in the conference, while Geneseo sits at 19-7 overall and 9-3 in the Empire 8.
The Golden Flyers Fall 9-4
In the first game, most of the damage from either team was done in the first inning, Geneseo leading off with eight runs in the first inning alone. Nazareth answered with three runs in the bottom of the first on two home-runs.
Ashley Bell had a two-run homer after
Morgan Russo walked, and
Sarah Ferruzza followed with a solo homer to bring the score to 8-3 heading into the second inning.
In the top of the second, Geneseo also hit a homerun to earn its final run of the game. The Golden Flyers on the other hand, scored its final run in the bottom of the third, bringing Russo home on a single by
Kaijah Alexander after Russo got on with a double to right center.
Though both teams had more scoring opportunities with runners on base throughout the game, the final score remained 9-4 in favor of the Knights.
Avery Zembek started on the mound for the Golden Flyers, facing 11 batters in the first inning and allowed eight earned runs. Bell was in relief and threw 6.1 innings for the Golden Flyers, allowing one earned run on 25 batters faced.
Suitor's Seventh Inning Homer Pushes Nazareth to a 17-15 Victory
After a wild start to game one, game two was no disappointment on the scoring end as Flyer Field saw 32 total runs come around. The action once again started off early, Geneseo putting up three runs in the top of the first inning. In the bottom, the Golden Flyers were able to bring the Knights' lead down to one as Ferruzza hit her second homer of the day, bringing around Bell who walked, as well as herself.
After a scoreless second inning and top of the third, the Golden Flyers surpassed the Knights with two more runs in the bottom of the third. Russo scored for the Golden Flyers after singling up the middle and being brought around on singles by Alexander and Ferruzza. Nazareth's second run came from a caught-stealing situation. With Alexander on third and Ferruzza on first, the Golden Flyers drew a throw from the Knights as Ferruzza faked a steal to second base and purposefully got into a pickle. While the Knights were occupied with Ferruzza, Alexander scored.
Heading into the top of the fourth, the Golden Flyers held its first lead of the day at 4-3, which would soon be squandered by Geneseo with six runs in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Nazareth took one of those runs back with a score from Suitor who got on with a single and was brought around by
Julia Maciag, Russo, and an error by the Knights. Heading into the fifth, the score was 9-5.
Geneseo kept the pressure on the Golden Flyers with two more runs in the top fo the fifth, but the Golden Flyers would not say die, scoring a whopping seven runs in the bottom of the inning. The inning started with three singles for the Golden Flyers by Alexander, Ferruzza, and
Hailey Trank, Ferruzza scoring on Trank's hit.
Caitlyn Knapp then knocked one over the fence for a three-run homer to make the score 11-9. Maciag and Russo then got on base on a fielder's choice and a single respectively and both were knocked in on a single by Bell. Bell scored on a single by Alexander for Nazareth's final run of the inning as the Golden Flyers took the lead back at 12-11.
Despite having runners in scoring position, the Golden Flyers held Geneseo scoreless in the top of the sixth while adding two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Suitor and Maciag started the rally with singles on two outs. Suitor made it around on an error, while Maciag scored on a single by Bell to go up 14-11 heading into the final scheduled inning.
In the top of the seventh, the Knights were able to score four runs to keep the game alive, going up 15-14 as the Golden Flyers headed to the plate for their last ups. Ferruzza started the inning by reaching first on an error, while Trank followed with a single.
Anna Spencer then moved Ferruzza to third and reached first on a fielder's choice as Trank was tossed out at second.
Jocelyn Trimber then pinch ran for Spencer, stealing second base on the next pitch. Runners on second and third, Suitor called game as she cranked one over the fence at left center to score the tying, the go-ahead, and the bonus run, the Golden Flyers taking the 17-15 win.
Alexander started the game in the circle for the Golden Flyers, throwing 3.2 innings, tallying one strikeout and seven earned runs on 24 batters faced. Zembek was in relief, throwing 3.1 innings and allowing three runs on 24 batters faced.
The Golden Flyers will be back in action on Saturday, April 17th as Nazareth travels to Brockport for another conference double header at 1 and 3 p.m.
