Game One: Elmira College 14 – Cazenovia College 2
Game Two: Cazenovia College 5 – Elmira College 3
Records: Elmira (2-1), Cazenovia (6-8)
Location: Eldridge Park Stadium -- Elmira, N.Y.
 
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College softball team was unable to build off of a strong 14-2 EC win in the opening game of its doubleheader against Cazenovia College today at Eldridge Park Stadium, as the Soaring Eagles split the twin bill with a 5-3 loss in the nightcap.

In the first bout of the day, the Purple and Gold opened the tilt's scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Cassie Hill '20 scored the first run off of a throwing error by the Wildcats' catcher, before Rachel Katzenberger '19 drove Emily Clark '19 home from third after a two-out triple.

Hannah Lundgren '18 further expanded Elmira's advantage with a two-RBI double in the second inning. With runners on first and second following a Sarah Garner '20 single and an error on the Wildcats' pitcher that allowed Allie Krohn '20 to reach first base, Lundgren smacked a ball to left field to plate the two sophomores.

After a two-run third inning by Cazenovia, EC answered with two more runs in the bottom of the frame to keep its four-run advantage, 6-2. Carolyn Corcoran '19 drove in both runs for EC in the third with a single to left field, which plated both Garner and Katzenberger.

The Soaring Eagles really took over in the fourth inning, as Elmira scored eight times in the frame to take a commanding 14-2 lead. Six different EC batters plated a run in the fourth. The Purple and Gold's starting pitcher McKenzie Slaven '20 recorded the lone extra-base hit of the frame with an RBI double to left field.

Slaven pitched all 5.0 innings for the Soaring Eagles to earn her first collegiate victory. The Horseheads, New York, native fanned four of the 20 batters she faced, while allowing just the two earned runs in the third frame.

The second bout of the day had a slightly different feel, as Elmira struggled with its batting in the contest. In the second game, Caz's starting pitcher Olivia Deraway, who is a perfect 3-0 this season, struck out eight Soaring Eagles and allowed just three earned runs.

Unlike the first game, the Wildcats started off strong with back-to-back RBI doubles off of the Elmira starter, Katie McDougal '18, to go ahead 2-0 in the first inning. Corcoran answered in the second inning with an RBI double to plate Garner, which cut EC's margin to just 2-1.  

The Wildcats rebuilt their lead with two runs in the third and one run in the fourth inning to stay ahead by a 5-1 score. A Corcoran ground-out RBI in the bottom of the fourth frame drew Elmira within three runs, 5-2, heading into the fifth inning.

Things really started to become interesting in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Elmira put two players on with the tying run up to bat. Maddy Johnson '19 started things off with a two-out single, before Lundgren singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Hill tallied EC's third consecutive single, which allowed the speedy Johnson to score from third. Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, Clark struck out swinging in the next at-bat to seal the 5-3 setback.

McDougal settled in in the latter part of the contest, as she allowed zero runs after the fourth inning. In total, the product of Pawling, New York, went 7.0 innings and allowed five runs, four of which were earned, while striking out three batters.  
 
News and Notes

• Elmira's record stands at 2-1to start the year.
• EC's 14 runs against the Wildcats today are a season-high and are the most the team has scored since it dropped 15 on Morrisville State on April 21, 2016.
• Lundgren's three RBIs in the first game today marked her first-career multi-RBI outing.
• Lundgren also smacked her second-career double in the opener.
• Corcoran's three RBIs in the opener tied a career high for the junior.
• Johnson has recorded a hit in nine of her 10 at-bats this season for a whopping .900 batting average.
• Slaven made the first start of her career in the opening win.
• Freshman Kristen Solar '21 made her first-career start in the second game and recorded one hit.

Up Next
The Elmira women continue non-conference action on Tuesday, March 27, when they battle the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in a doubleheader. The opener of the twin bill is slated to start at 3:00 p.m. in Bradford, Pennsylvania.