Two Wins for Alfred, Naz and Ithaca

Two Wins for Alfred, Naz and Ithaca

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ALFRED v Utica
The Alfred University softball team topped Utica College in both teams' Empire 8 openers and during the Saxons' Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at Harrington Park. The Saxons picked up two extra-inning wins 6-5 and 8-7.
 
Sophomore Sophia Chiavatti (Austin, CA/Foothills) reached on an error by the Pioneers' (10-8, 0-2 Empire 8) shortstop, Alysa Russell, in the bottom of the eighth, which allowed freshman Haley Powers (Newark, DE/St. Georges Tech) to score from third to give the Saxons (16-2, 2-0 Empire 8) their first conference win of the season.
 
In the nightcap, bottom of the eighth again, Powers was the one to send the runner home for the winning run when she singled down the right field line with junior Jasmine Picini (Alexandria, VA/West Potomac) on first and senior Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) on second. The line drive gave both base runners time to advance two bases, leading to the Wickwire score and capturing the sweep over Utica.
 
Wickwire belted out not one, not two, but three home runs on Saturday between the two games.  She got her first during game one in the bottom of the sixth that also scored sophomore Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) to bring the Saxons back from a 5-1 deficit to a 5-3 Utica lead.
 
She then sent her other two past the fence in left field in the second game. Her first went yard in the first inning, scoring both Thompson and junior Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Township) for an Alfred 3-0 lead. Wickwire then belted her third homer in the sixth inning off the Pioneer pitcher and younger sister, Alaina Wickwire.
 
The freshman responded to her older sister's home run with one of her own in the seventh inning, bringing the Pioneers back from a 5-7 trailing to tie the game after scoring Dominique Soto.
 
Chiavatti had two doubles for the Saxons on the day while Thompson posted one double and one triple.
 
In the pitching section of the game, the Saxon's Wickwire pitched all eight innings of the opening game. She gave up four earned runs while striking out six batters and walking only one. The win gives her a current record of 6-1.
 
Chiavatti pitched seven innings, giving up nine hits, seven runs (three earned) walking three batters and striking out five. Freshman Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) came in at the top of the eighth inning. She gave up no hits or runs and picked up the win, which makes her 4-0 on the season.
 

NAZARETH v Elmira
 Nazareth swept a doubleheader against Elmira on Saturday in the teams' first conference games. The Golden Flyers held off the Soaring Eagles 8-5 in game one, and Nazareth dominated Elmira 9-1 in game two. Sophomore Meghan Barry hit her first-career home run in the bottom of the third in the second game.

With the victories, Nazareth improves to 9-5 overall and 2-0 in Empire 8 games. Following the losses, Elmira falls to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in conference games.

In game one, Elmira had runners reach third in the first two innings but were unable to score. In the second inning, the Golden Flyers completed a triple play to frustrate the Soaring Eagles. With runners on first and third, Kennedy Harper tried a sacrifice bunt, which was fielded by Pike and thrown to Sarah Papponetti, who was covering first. Hannah Lundgren tried to score from third, but Papponetti's throw to Sophia Rhoades caught Lundgren at home. Rhoades threw to Morgan Ross to collect the third out as the runner tried to advance on the play.

Like Elmira, Nazareth had runners reach third in the first two innings but left them stranded. In the first, sophomore Emily Graham doubled and took third on a wild pitch. The Soaring Eagles collected the last two outs to keep the Golden Flyers scoreless. In the bottom of the second, Kelsey Condidorio collected the third out on a strike out.

The Golden Flyers took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, and they scored five times in the fourth to take command of the game. Graham gave Nazareth the lead when she scored on a passed ball. In the fourth, the offense took advantage of three errors and a passed ball. Freshman Stephanie Mongelli's lead-off single started the scoring outburst. She scored on a misplayed  fly ball to center. Graham doubled the Golden Flyers' lead, 4-0, on a two-run double. She scored on another outfield error, which allowed Pike to reach base. Mongelli's second hit of the inning scored Pike for the six-run lead.

The Soaring Eagles rallied with four runs in the top of the fifth to get back in the game. The first three batters reached to load the bases. Jacquelyn Heggie's double scored all three runners. Heggie scored on a grounder to second to cut Elmira's deficit to 6-4. Papponetti ended the frame by chasing down a pop-up behind first.

In the sixth, Nazareth reclaimed a four-run lead when its first three batters reached. Junior Maureen Rogers opened the inning with a single. Pike and Rhoades followed with consecutive doubles. Rogers scored on Pike's hit, and Pike scored on Rhoades' hit.

In the seventh, Elmira's Katie Day hit a lead-off home run to cut the deficit to three runs, however, the Golden Flyers' lead was not threatened.

Sophomore Nicole White earned her third win of the game for Nazareth. She pitched five innings and allowed four runs while striking out three. Senior Nicole Bayona pitched the final two innings and allowed only Day's homer. Condidorio took the loss for the Soaring Eagles as she allowed eight runs on seven hits in five innings.

In the second game, the Golden Flyers scored seven times in the first three innings to take command. In the first, Graham hit a one-out single to center and advanced to third on a single by Rogers. Graham scored moments later on a single by  Rhoades.

In the second inning, Barry opened the inning with a single to center, and she crossed home on a single by Ross.  Papponetti, who reached on an error, gave Nazareth a 3-0 lead when Graham reached on a fielder's choice. A single by Rogers moved Graham to third. Both runners scored on a throwing error by Elmira's pitcher, Katie McDougal. Rhoades' second single of the game brought home jPike.

Barry's homer in the third inning stretched the Golden Flyers' lead to seven runs. In the top of the fourth, Elmira found the scoreboard on a double by Emily Carlin, which scored Jacquelyn Heggie.

After being held without a run in the fourth inning, Nazareth ended the game in the fifth inning when two runs scored for the eight-run margin. Graham's one-out single started the offense, and she scored when Pike reached on an error. Rhoades ended the game with a double to score Pike.

Junior Danae Wetherbee recorded the win as she held Elmira to only two hits and the lone run. It was her second victory of the season. McDougal took the loss for Elmira. She allowed eight hits and seven runs in two innings of action. Carlin pitched the final two and two-thirds innings. She allowed four hits and one run.


ITHACA v Houghton
The Ithaca College softball team earned its second-straight conference sweep on Saturday, as the Bombers defeated Houghton 11-2 in game one before dropping the Highlanders in game two, 11-1. The Bombers' overall record improves to 8-8, including a mark of 4-0 in the Empire 8.

Game One: Ithaca – 11, Houghton – 2
Junior Laura Quicker earned the complete game victory in game one, moving her record in the circle to 4-4. She allowed just two earned runs on four hits in 6.0 innings of work, while also recording five strikeouts.

Junior Kelly Robichaud recorded two extra-base hits, including a double and a home run. She also paced Ithaca with five RBI. Freshman Allie Colleran had a perfect day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Senior Nicole Ciricillo was 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and two RBI, while classmate Nina Lindberg picked up an RBI on a pinch hit double.

The Bombers got on the board early in game one, thanks to a two-run homer from Robichaud in the opening frame. The Highlanders responded with a home run of their own in the bottom of the first, putting the score at 2-1 in favor of the Bombers.

Ithaca added to its lead by scoring two runs in three-straight innings, including a pair of runs in the second, third and fourth frame. Houghton was able to strike again with a lone run in the bottom of the fourth, pushing the score to 8-2.

The Bombers added three more insurance runs in the top of the sixth, coming on three hits and a Houghton error. With runners at second and third, Robichaud singled home two more Ithaca runs before ending up at second on a throwing error. Junior Casey Gavin doubled shortly after, bringing home Robichaud to stretch Ithaca's lead to 11-2.

The Highlanders were unable to answer back in the bottom of the sixth, giving Ithaca the 11-2 win on the eight-run mercy rule.

Game Two: Ithaca – 11, Houghton – 1
Junior Allison Macari picked up the win in game two, pitching all 5.0 innings to improve her record to 4-4 on the year. She held Houghton to one earned run on three hits and collected six strikeouts.

Colleran paced the Bombers with three RBI, as she went 1-for-4 in game two with a double. Gavin went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while Robichaud was 2-for-2 with two singles and two RBI. Ciricillo collected the lone home run of the contest.

Robichaud got the Bombers rolling early, bringing home two runs on a single in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.

Ithaca added three more runs on four hits in the top of the second. A solo home run from Ciricillo started the frame, before an RBI single from senior Francesca Busa with two runners on added to the scoring. A double steal resulted in the third Bomber run of the inning, pushing Ithaca's lead to 5-0.

Ithaca scored six more runs in the remainder of the contest, starting with a solo run in the third. A three run fourth inning and two runs scored in the fifth capped the scoring for the Bombers. Houghton did add a single run in the bottom of the fourth, but it wouldn't be enough as Ithaca earned the 11-1 game two victory.


ST. JOHN FISHER v STEVENS
The St. John Fisher College Softball team split a conference doubleheader with visiting Stevens Institute on Saturday.  Fisher fell 3-1 in 13 innings in game one before coming back to take game two, 6-1.

Fisher moves to 15-5 on the year and 1-1 in Empire 8 play, while Stevens falls to 12-6, 1-1 respectively.

Game 1 – Stevens 3, Fisher 1

The Duck put runners on in the first and fourth innings but were unable to get any to score. Fisher mounted its own rallies in the first and second before pushing across an unearned run in the fourth off an error at third.
 
Stevens was unable to answer in the fifth, but did finally break-through in the sixth. After senior Jamie DeGennaroand sophomore Jessica Rees hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, sophomore Kelly Klewicki ripped a single to left to plate one.
 
Senior pitcher Kayla Berardi kept the game knotted in the bottom of the inning after working out of a bases loaded, one out situation before working around a lead-off single in the seventh.
 
Both team traded zeroes over the next five innings until Rees broke the deadlock with a two run homer run in the 13th. Fisher put runners on second and third in their half of the inning, but Berardi induced a fly ball out to center to clinch the win.
 
Berardi went the distance, striking out eight without surrendering an earned run while Rees' homer was her third in as many games.

Game 2 – Fisher 6, Stevens 1

Fisher scored four runs in the second inning to break the game open.  With the bases loaded, Kristina Balsano picked up a 2-RBI single to score Genevieve Paeglow and Savas. 

The Cardinals added another run on an illegal pitch with Jessie Smyrski scoring from third base.  Fisher's final run of the inning came on a fielder's choice with Katie Mazierski at the plate.

After Stevens scored its only run of the game in the third inning, Fisher reclaimed its four run advantage in the bottom half on an RBI single from Smyrski.

Mazierski picked up her second RBI of the day in the fifth inning, bringing Christina Sakran in from third base.

Meghan Burns was a perfect 4-for-4 in the win, while  Emma Savas and Smyrski each picked up two hits.

Thayer improved to 8-3 on the season with the win, allowing seven hits, while striking out five.



SCHOOL CONF OVERALL
Ithaca 4-0 8-8
Alfred 2-0 16-2
Nazareth 2-0 9-5
Utica 2-2 10-8
St. John Fisher 1-1 15-5
Stevens 1-3 13-6-1
Elmira 0-2 0-2
Houghton 0-4 2-17