Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Elmira, NY -- With the end of the regular season coming to a close, the Elmira College softball team has essentially been playing playoff style doubleheaders against Empire 8 Conference teams and today was no different as the Soaring Eagles hosted the Cardinals of St. John Fisher College.  Elmira, who had just two conference wins entering today's doubleheader, swept the Cardinals to keep EC's playoff hopes alive with a 9-1 win in five innings in game one and a 5-3 come from behind victory in game two.
 
Prior to today's game, Elmira was held to just two runs in their last two contests but quiet bats were not the case today as the Soaring Eagles exploded for 14 runs on 18 hits and 10 runs batted in.  Leading the charge was first baseman Megan Anderson '15 who went 3-for-6 today with a pair of home runs and three runs batted in.  Her three hits today extend her hitting streak to 10 games, tying a career best for the New Jersey native. 
 
Also with standout plate appearances were Katie Day '15 and Katie Dore '15.  Day was 4-for-6 with two runs batted in, including the game-winning RBI in game two, and two runs scored.  Dore went 3-for-6 with her biggest hit of the afternoon coming in the form of a grand slam home run, her second grand slam in Elmira's last three doubleheaders.
 
In the circle, Alex Puglisi '14 and Emilie Rogers '14 teamed up to hold a St. John Fisher team that had scored 22 runs in their last three games to just four.  Puglisi picked up both wins today, tossing seven innings of two-run ball while Rogers struck out eight batters in five innings of work.
 
Game One Recap – Elmira 9, St. John Fisher 1 (5 innings)
The Cardinals wasted little time at the plate today as Meghan Burns took advantage of a strong gust blowing towards left field, slapping a solo shot on the third pitch of the game to put St. John Fisher ahead 1-0. 
 
Elmira responded in the bottom half of the first inning with a two-out solo homer by Anderson, tying things up at one apiece.  Then, still working with two outs, Elmira placed three batters on base thanks to a walk, an error and a single.  With the bases loaded, an error by the Cardinals, their second of the inning, allowed Emily Carlin '17 to score the go-ahead run, putting the Purple and Gold up, 2-1.
 
Looking to build on their slim lead, Elmira did just that in the bottom of the third inning as the Soaring Eagles scored six runs to take a commanding 8-1 lead.  Day started the offensive surge with an RBI single up the middle that scored Carlin from second base.  Then, another costly error by the Cardinals would allow Day to score, putting EC ahead 4-1. 
 
With the offense clicking and untimely Cardinal errors, Elmira was able to load the bases for Dore, who went up 3-0 in the count on St. John Fisher pitcher Halie Schoff.  Dore took the next pitch, which looked to be inside, and proceeded to trot down the first base line before a delayed strike call was made at home plate, extending Dore's at-bat.  The late call proved to be a blessing in disguise as Dore belted the next pitch she saw over the left field wall for her second grand slam in five days, putting Elmira in the driver's seat, 8-1 through three innings.
 
The Cardinals would put one batter in scoring position in the fifth inning but would strand the runner on second.  St. John Fisher's inability to capitalize was taken advantage of by the Purple and Gold as a sacrifice bunt by Bupp in the fifth turned into a fielding error by the Cardinals which let Jacquelyn Heggie '16 score Elmira's ninth run of the game, giving EC a 9-1 victory.
 
Puglisi finished the game with three strikeouts, allowing just three hits and one run. 
 
Game Two Recap – Elmira 5, St. John Fisher 3
Dore led off the bottom of the first inning with an infield single but would be forced out at second on a fielder's choice that put Mikayla Bean '14 on first base. Following Bean's at-bat, Anderson extended her hitting streak to 10 games as she blistered one up the middle, advancing Bean to third base.  Then, Elmira manufactured a run as Anderson attempted a delayed steal that prompted a throw from the St. John Fisher catcher, resulting in a rundown between first and second base.  The rundown allowed Bean to sneak home, scoring the game's first run, giving EC a 1-0 edge.
 
St. John Fisher evened things at 1-1 in the top of the third inning on an RBI double by Jennifer Knaak.  Knaak would deliver another big hit in the top of the sixth inning as she poked a two-run homer to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead with just an inning and a half to play. 
 
In the bottom half of the sixth inning, Bean looked to start an EC rally but would find herself in an early 1-2 hole in the count.  Bean would not go away without a fight though as she eventually worked a 14-pitch walk, an at-bat that included eight fouled off pitches with two strikes against her. 
 
Bean's fight at the plate may have been the biggest play in the game as Elmira's next batter, Anderson, smashed her second homer of the afternoon, driving in Bean and herself to tie the game at 3-3. 
 
Elmira's next batter, Carlin, doubled on a 0-2 count to right center which prompted speedster Julianne Heggie '16 to pinch run for her.  The move to have Heggie pinch run was a good one as Day singled up the middle, allowing Heggie to score the go-ahead run. EC tacked on another run in the inning on an RBI double by Jacquelyn Heggie '16, a run that proved to be more than enough as Elmira went on to win it, 5-3.
 
Rogers got the start in game two, tossing five innings of two-run ball.  She struck out eight batters before being relieved by Puglisi who would eventually close out the game to earn her sixth win of the season.
 
Elmira will be back in action tomorrow when the Soaring Eagles travel to take on RPI in a non-conference doubleheader at 3:00 p.m.