Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College softball team (4-8, 1-7 Empire 8) split a pair of one-run Empire 8 Conference games with visiting Houghton College (3-22, 1-7 Empire 8) this afternoon.  Elmira won the opening game of today's doubleheader as the Soaring Eagles held off a late Highlander surge for an 8-7 victory, before seeing a late-inning rally fall short in game two as Houghton claimed a 5-4 win.
 
Elmira will be back in action tomorrow, April 19th, when the Soaring Eagles host Hilbert College in a non-conference doubleheader.  The first of two games is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Eldridge Park Stadium in Elmira, NY.
 
Game One: Elmira 8, Houghton 7
Elmira saw their leadoff batter, Jacquelyn Heggie '16, begin the game by striking out but a misplayed ball by the Houghton catcher allowed Heggie to reach first base safely.  On the same play, Heggie would utilize her speed to reach second base and eventually make her way to third thanks to an errant throw to second base by the Houghton pitcher.  Julianne Heggie '16 would step-up to the plate next and drive-in her sister to give the Soaring Eagles a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Houghton evened the score in the top half of the second inning on a Jessica Hayner RBI single.  The score remained 1-1 until the bottom of the third inning when Elmira's offense exploded for six runs to take a commanding 7-1 lead.
 
Kennedy Harper '18 began Elmira's six-run inning by working a walk before stealing second base.  For the second time in today's game Jacquelyn Heggie would reach safely after striking out, putting runners on the corners as Harper advanced to third.  Julianne Heggie would deliver her second RBI of the game as she fooled the Houghton defense by laying down a bunt single that brought-in Kennedy from third. 
 
Elmira's next batter, Ashley Palmer '16, continued to move EC's runners as her infield single brought home another run, putting the Soaring Eagles in front 3-1. 
 
With runners on first and second, Coach Rhonda Faunce signaled for a double-steal and would see both Heggie and Palmer steal their respective bases to put runners on second and third for Emily Carlin '17.  From there Carlin, EC's most lethal hitter, would do something no one was expecting as she laid-down a bunt.  Neither Heggie nor Palmer would advance, but the miscommunication in Houghton's infield allowed Carlin to reach first safely, loading the bases for Katie Day '16. 
 
Day would deliver an RBI single to left field on her at-bat, scoring Heggie from third to give the Purple and Gold a 4-1 lead.  Shortly after, a Houghton wild pitch allowed for each of Elmira's three runners to advance a base, including Palmer who crossed home plate to push Elmira's lead to 5-1.
 
Chelsea Storch '18 would make it 6-1 as her sacrifice fly drove-in Carlin from third base.  Storch's RBI sacrifice fly was followed up by a Hannah Lundgren '18 grounded that scored Day from third, putting EC way out in front, 7-1.
 
Houghton would get one back in the top of the fourth inning but so would Elmira in the bottom of the sixth as Jacquelyn Heggie's one-out single scored Marisa Bernardi '18, putting Elmira on top 8-2.
 
In the top of the seventh, Houghton would register six of their game's 11 hits and score five runs, cutting Elmira's lead to 8-7.  However, on the hit that drove-in Houghton's fifth run, Morgan York tried to stretch a double into a triple, a move that would prove to be costly as York was thrown out at third.  Ending Houghton's comeback was Heggie who fired the ball from center field to Palmer, who quickly threw it over to Storch, who would make the tag for the final out of the game.
 
Bernardi would be credited with the win in game one as she came in for relief duty in the fourth inning.  She allowed six runs, five of which were earned, and struck out one batter. For Bernardi, today's win is the first of her collegiate career.  
 
Game Two: Houghton 5, Elmira 4
The second game of today's doubleheader did not start as well as Elmira wanted as the Soaring Eagles surrendered five runs in the first inning.  Houghton would maintain their 5-0 lead through four full innings until the bottom of the fifth when Elmira got one back on a Kelsey Condidorio '18 RBI double that scored Day from first base.
 
Trailing by four runs in the bottom of the sixth, Heggie sisters began an Elmira rally by reaching safely, putting runners on the corners.  With two-on and no outs, Palmer would smack a single down the left field line, scoring one of the Heggies from third base to cut Houghton's lead to 5-2.
 
Elmira's next batter, Carlin, would advance both runners an extra base on a ground out to the pitcher, putting Heggie and Palmer in scoring position with one out.  From there, a pair of wild pitches would allow both Heggie and Palmer to score, cutting the Highlander lead to 5-4.
 
Houghton would eventually escape from the sixth inning and take their one-run lead into the seventh. 
 
In the bottom of the seventh, still trailing by one run, Elmira hoped for a rally but their aspirations of a comeback looked bleak as their first two batters popped out and grounded out. 
 
With two outs, Samantha Hawksley '17 kept Elmira's comeback hopes alive with a bloop single into center field.  Harper came in to pinch-run for Hawksley and the speedster did not disappoint as she stole second and third, putting herself in scoring position for Jacquelyn Heggie.  However, third was as far as Harper would make it as Heggie was called out on strikes, giving the Highlanders a 5-4 win.
 
Condidorio got the start in game two and would go 3.1 innings with five runs allowed.  Carlin came in for relief duty and would toss 3.2 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk.