Rochester, NY -- The Elmira College softball team were swept in their Empire 8-opening doubleheader by Nazareth College earlier today. EC dropped the first game 8-5, before falling in the second game 9-1. Elmira's bats were kept relatively quiet despite the combined six runs scored as the Soaring Eagles totaled five hits in 39 at-bats across the two games.
 
Katie Day'16 was the only Soaring Eagle to record multiple hits on the day as she went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI. She also belted her first home run of the season, a solo shot in game one. The other hits came from the Heggie twins, Jacquelyn and Julianne, and Emily Carlin '17.
 
Game One: Nazareth 8, Elmira 5
The Purple and Gold looked to make a mark in their first conference game of the season, but they fell into a sizable hole midway through the first game. Freshman pitcher Kelsey Condidorio '18 worked her way out of jams in both the first and second innings, but Nazareth put one run on the board after a passed ball in the third inning. The deficit grew exponentially in the next inning as Nazareth plated five runs, thanks in part to two errors, to take a 6-0 lead after four innings of play.
 
The top of the fifth inning, however, saw EC make it a 6-4 game.  The first three Elmira batters reached base safely, loading the bases for Jacquelyn Heggie. Heggie doubled to clear the bases and make it a 6-3 game. Then, later in the inning, Heggie would score on an Ashley Palmer'16 groundout to have EC trail by two.
 
Nazareth scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to double-up their lead and provide some much-needed insurance runs. Day led off the top of the seventh with a solo home run, but the Golden Flyers would not allow any more damage as they held on for the 8-5 win.
 
Game Two: Nazareth 9, Elmira 1 (F/5)
After a close loss in the opening game, EC looked to get the split as they brought freshman Katie McDougal '18 out to pitch the second game. McDougal ran into some trouble in the first inning as Nazareth put runners on the corners with one out. She nearly got out of the inning unscathed striking out the next batter, but a Golden Flyer single made it a 1-0 game. The deficit then grew to 6-0 after a five-run second inning, the largest hole EC has been in all season.
 
The Soaring Eagles were trying to cut into the lead, but Nazareth's Danae Wetherbee was keeping Elmira's bats quiet, enabling her team to take a 7-0 lead after three innings. She allowed just one base-runner through three innings and did not give up a hit until the top of the fourth inning when Jacquelyn Heggie '16 singled to center field. Heggie stole second base and would eventually come around to score after Carlin's RBI double to left field. That would be the extent of EC's offense in the second game as the game would end in five innings after Nazareth would push across two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, making it 9-1.
 
EC closes out their weekend road-trip with another Empire 8 doubleheader against St. John Fisher College tomorrow, April 12th beginning at 1:00 p.m.