Ithaca and Alfred Win Twice; SJFC Splits
ITHACA v UTICA
The Ithaca College softball team swept a road doubleheader with Utica on Tuesday. The Bombers defeated the Pioneers by a score of 2-0 in game one, before winning game two, 13-2. The sweep improves Ithaca's overall record to 10-10, including a mark of 6-2 in the Empire 8.
Game One: Ithaca – 2, Utica – 0
Junior
Laura Quicker earned the complete game shutout in game one after allowing just three hits and recording two strikeouts over 7.0 innings of play. Classmate
Casey Gavin paced the Bombers with two RBI, coming in a 1-for-3 performance at the plate. Junior
Kelly Robichaud went 1-for-3 and accounted for Ithaca's lone extra-base hit with a double.
Ithaca came out swinging in the top half of the first, as the Bombers scored two runs on two hits in the frame. With two outs and runners at second and third, Gavin crushed a single to left field, scoring both base runners. Although Gavin was tagged out at second trying to advance on the play, both runners scored before the tag to put Ithaca up, 2-0.
Neither team would score in the remainder of the tilt, giving Ithaca the 2-0 game one victory.
Game Two: Ithaca – 13, Utica – 2
Junior
Allison Macari was credited with the complete game victory in game two of the doubleheader. She allowed two earned runs on seven Pioneer hits over 6.0 innings, while also recording five strikeouts.
Robichaud, Gavin and freshman
Emily Bloom each collected three hits in the victory. Robichaud was 3-for-5 with three RBI on a double and a home run. Gavin was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Bloom was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and a RBI. Seniors
Nicole Ciricillo and
Monica Capolongo both picked up two RBI.
The Bombers did most of their damage in the opening frame, collecting five runs on four hits to start game two.
Gavin once again got the offense rolling, as she advanced a pair of runners home on a single through the gap to put the Bombers up 2-0. A single from Capolongo in the next at-bat brought home Gavin, before another RBI single from Ciricillo made it 4-0. A bases-loaded walk brought in the final run of the frame, giving Ithaca the 5-0 lead.
The Pioneers got on the board with one run in the bottom of the inning, before Ithaca answered immediately with three runs on three hits in the top of the second. Back-to-back doubles from Bloom and Robichaud accounted for the first Bomber run of the frame. Two more runs came on fielder's choice RBIs, putting the score at 8-1 in favor of the Bombers.
Each team then exchanged a run, with Utica's coming in the third and Ithaca's coming in the fourth to put the score at 9-2.
Ithaca put the game to rest in the top of the sixth, as the Bombers scored four more runs on four hits. The frame was highlighted by a two-run homer from Robichaud, giving Ithaca the 13-2 lead. Utica was unable to score in the bottom of the inning, giving Ithaca the shortened 13-2 win on the NCAA eight-run rule.
ALFRED v Penn College
The Alfred University softball team won a pair of non-conference games Tuesday afternoon at Penn College.
The Saxons (22-2) won the first game of the doubleheader, 7-3, and took the second game, 7-1, to run their winning streak to a program-best 16 games.
In the opener, sophomore shortstop
Liz Thompson went 3-for-4 with a solo homerun, three runs scored and two RBIs and the Saxons got five innings of scoreless three-hit relief from freshman pitcher
Kerri Keeler.
Alfred scored twice in the top of the first, but the host Wildcats answered with a run in the bottom of the frame and two more in the second to take a 3-2 lead. Alfred scored three in the third, with Thompson cranking a leadoff homerun, to go back in front. The Saxons added a pair of insurance in support of Keeler, who relieved sophomore starter
Sophia Chiavatti and struck out four to improve to 6-0 on the season.
Junior second baseman
Dana Torchia was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI; junior catcher
Nora Passuite had two hits, scored a run and drove one in; and senior outfielder
Alyson Hampton was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
In the second game, junior catcher
Jasmine Picini drove in what proved to be the winning run with a two-run first-inning triple. AU added single runs in the second and third before Penn College plated its lone run of the game in the bottom of the third.
Alfred pulled away with three run in the sixth, more than enough for freshman starting pitcher
Shannon Schaefer, who tossed a complete game to improve to 4-0 on the year. Schaefer scattered five hits and struck out three, allowing one unearned run.
Picini added also hit a run-scoring single and finished with three RBIs, while Thompson was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
Freshman third baseman
Haley Powers belted a double; Passuite (RBI) and junior outfielder
Samantha Jauregui each scored a run; and junior
Mackenzie Miller was 3-for-4 with a run scored.
ST. JOHN FISHER v Brockport
The St. John Fisher College softball team split a pair of non-conference games against the College at Brockport on Tuesday afternoon. The Cardinals are now 18-6 on the year.
Fisher 8, Brockport 0 (5 inn.)
Lauren Owens hit a three-run longball in the top of the fourth to seal the win in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Owens tallied a team-high four RBI in recording her third homer of the year.
The Cardinals took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, earning three more runs in the third inning before Owens' home run.
Jennifer Knaak went 2-for-2 to pace the offense with two runs and a RBI.
Katie Mazierski and
Meghan Burns added a hit and two RBIs apiece.
Lindsey Thayer threw a complete game, striking out 10 with just one walk and one hit. The freshman improves to 11-3 on the year from the circle.
Brockport 8, Fisher 6
The Golden Eagles put together three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn the victory in the nightcap.
Fisher held a two-run lead after its at-bat in the fifth inning when
Emma Savas scored on a wild pitch.
Brockport chipped away in the bottom of the fifth inning when Erika Lazzaro singled to shortstop and brought in Brianna Harris to put the Golden Eagles behind by one run.
The Golden Eagles tied the game at 6 apiece when Paige Monachino scored on a
Kayla DePara walk.
Alyssa Balfe singled down the left field line that gave Brockport the two game-winning runs.
Kristina Balsano led Fisher's offense, going 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Halie Schoff scattered eight hits, five runs – all earned – and two walks with one strikeout over 4.2 innings. DePara fell to 2-2 on the year from the circle, allowing three hits, three runs – all earned – and four walks with one strikeout in 1.1 innings of work.
NAZARETH v Rochester
Host Nazareth fell victim to some strong pitching Tuesday from the University of Rochester as the Yellowjackets swept a non-conference softball doubleheader from the Golden Flyers by scores of 10-0 and 9-0.
Rochester improved to 16-7 overall. Nazareth, which managed only four hits in the two games -- three by
Morgan Ross -- dropped to 9-9 overall. The Golden Flyers resume their Empire 8 Conference schedule with a home doubleheader Thursday against St. John Fisher, starting at 3 p.m.
In the first game, UR senior Brittany Grage allowed just one hit over five shutout innings to lead the Yellowjackets. She walked one and struck out four. Gabriela Albatorre went 2-for-3 with four runs batted in. She drove home two with a triple as part of a three-run fourth inning and drove home two more with a double as part of a six-run fourth inning.
Nazareth managed only two base runners.
Emily Graham walked with one out in the bottom of the first, stole second and advanced to third on an error, but was stranded there. Ross doubled to left center with two outs in the third, but was left there.
In the second game, UR sophomore Elena Wechsler allowed just three hits over six scoreless innings and struck out five. UR led 1-0 through four innings, then broke the game open with four runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth. Grage, playing third base in the second game, went 3-for-4 with five runs batted in. She also socked a two-run homer in the fifth.
Nazareth stranded two runners in the fourth inning after Ross and
Carly Pike each reached on singles. Ross also singled to lead off the sixth and moved to second on a wild pitch, but was left there.
Danae Wetherbee pitched the first game for Nazareth and allowed nine hits and four earned runs.
Nicole Bayonapitched game two and allowed eight earned runs on 11 hits.
HOUGHTON v Geneseo
The Houghton College softball team lost 5-1 and 19-2 in the doubleheader against the SUNY Geneseo Knights.
In Game one the Highlanders got on the board first in the bottom of the second.
Bailey Shattell (Syracuse, NY, Faith Heritage) hit a triple with one out in the inning and after
Sarah Beirne (Port Jervis, NY, Port Jervis) walked it put runners at the corners. Then the Knight's catcher let a ball by her giving the speedy Shattell enough time to score from third.
In the top of the third the Knights came right back to score three runs on three hits making the score 3-1.
From that point on Knights pitcher Mikayla Moore shut down the Highlanders not allowing them to get anything going.
The Knights added on two insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings and that was plenty.
The win was credited to Moore and
Morgan York (Canisteo, NY, Canisteo-Greenwood) was handed the loss.
In game two the Knights offense caught fire early when leadoff batter Alyssa Presutti hit a homerun to lead off the game.
In the bottom of the first
Adrienne Huston (New Waterford, OH, Crestview High School) forced a walk. Then
Adrean Tiffany (Loweville, NY, Loweville Academy) laid down the sacrifice bunt that moved Huston to second and
Georgianna Stoj (Depew, NY, Sacred Heart Academy) followed that up with a single to right field to put runners on the corners. A wild pitch by the Knights pitcher scored Huston from third to tie it up at one. After York singled and Shattell was hit by a pitch the Highlanders had the bases juiced with only one out. Beirne screamed a liner at the second basemen, but the second baseman caught Shattell in "no man's land" and ended the threat.
In the bottom of the second the Highlanders hit two singles to lead off the inning, which forced Geneseo coach Dave Sylvester to make an early pitching change. After Huston roped a single down the right field line the Highlanders had the bases loaded with one out, but the Highlanders failed to take advantage.
In the top of the third the Knights blew the game open scoring eight runs on six hits and taking advantage of two Highlander errors.
In the bottom half of the third Shattell was hit by a pitch and Beirne followed up with a RBI double scoring Shattell from second making the score 9-2.
The Knights scored seven more runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth
.
The eight run rule ended the game after five innings.
In the box score the Highlanders were led by Beirne who went two for three with two doubles and recorded one RBI.
Jessica Hayner (Waterford, NY, Shenendehowa) was credited with the loss and the win was given to Corrin Spallone.
|
SCHOOL |
CONF |
OVERALL |
|
Alfred |
4-0 |
22-2 |
|
St. John Fisher |
3-1 |
18-6 |
|
Ithaca |
4-2 |
10-10 |
|
Stevens |
3-3 |
15-6-1 |
|
Nazareth |
2-2 |
9-9 |
|
Utica |
2-2 |
10-10 |
|
Elmira |
0-4 |
0-4 |
|
Houghton |
0-4 |
2-19 |