Game One: Elmira College 7, The Sage Colleges 3
Game Two: Elmira College 12, The Sage Colleges 4
Records: Elmira (9-9, 3-5 E8), Sage (10-19, 3-8 E8)
Location: Robinson Softball Field – Troy, N.Y.
 
TROY, N.Y. -- Head Coach Rhonda Faunce earned her 400th career win with the Elmira College softball team on Sunday afternoon, as the Soaring Eagles picked up a pair of Empire 8 Conference wins over The Sage Colleges. Elmira secured a 7-3 comeback win over the Gators in the opening game, one that saw Mckenzie Slaven '20 register her 100th career strikeout, before exploding for several season highs in a 12-4 rout in the nightcap.
 
EC's four-run win in game one gave Faunce her 400th career coaching victory. Faunce, who began her coaching career in 1989, is Elmira's all-time wins leader in both softball and women's volleyball.  
 
Game One
After scoring just once in two games on Saturday afternoon, the Elmira bats rang loudly in the opening game of today's doubleheader, as the Soaring Eagles produced seven runs in a 7-3 win.
 
Sage took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning behind a two-run homer from Kiersten Duncan. However, Elmira chipped away at the Gators' lead starting in the third inning.
 
In the top of the third, a single to center field by Sarah Garner '20 plated Maddy Johnson '19, who also singled to center, from second base to cut the Sage lead to 2-1. After a scoreless fourth inning, Elmira tied the game on an error by the Sage shortstop, which allowed Johnson to score her second run of the game.
 
EC took its first lead of the game, 3-2, in the top of the sixth inning with Rachel Katzenberger '19 beating out a throw at first for an infield single to score Elmira's starting pitcher, Slaven, from third base. Slaven led off of the inning with a single to right center field.
 
However, in the bottom half of the sixth, Sage knotted the score at 3-3 on a two-out single.
 
With the score tied at 3-all, the Soaring Eagles put a four-spot on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning to create a four-run cushion.
 
The rally began with Sam Chadbourne '19, who rocketed a solo home run, her fourth homer of the season, to straight away center field. The following two batters popped and grounded out, but that did little to deter EC's ambitions at the plate, as the Purple and Gold plated three additional runs with two outs.
 
Slaven laced a hot shot down the left-field line, which was followed by back-to-back singles by Carolyn Corcoran '19 and Samantha Jenkins '20 to load the bases. With the bases juiced, Johnson found the gap in right-center field with a single and drove in both Slaven and Corcoran.
 
Following a stolen base by Johnson, Katzenberger ripped a single to center field, scoring Jenkins from third.
 
Sage eyed a comeback in the bottom half of the inning, but Slaven closed the door with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out, solidifying a 7-3 victory.
 
Slaven improved to 5-4 with today's win, as the junior hurler fanned eight batters in 7.0 innings of work. Her eight strikeouts brought her season total to 53, a single-season best for the Horseheads, New York, native and increased her career total 105 strikeouts. She is just seven strikeouts from cracking EC's top-10 all-time list.
 
Offensively, four players finished with multi-hit performances, led by Johnson's three-hit effort. Johnson also logged two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Kaztenberger, Slaven and Corcoran each registered two hits apiece. Katzenberger, along with Chadbourne, added a pair of RBIs, while Slaven scored a pair of runs.
 
Game Two
The Soaring Eagles produced season highs in runs scored, hits, RBIs and home runs to earn a 12-4 win and secure a conference sweep of the Gators.
 
Elmira raced out to a 7-0 lead on Sage over a 2.5 inning span. Jenkins began the scoring affair with a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning, one of four first-inning runs for the Soaring Eagles. An Ally Barr '21 RBI single, along with a two-RBI single by Slaven, gave EC a 4-0 lead in the first inning.
 
Johnson, who is normally known for her speed, showcased her power from the left side of the plate with a solo home run in the top of the second inning to put the Purple and Gold on top, 5-0.
 
A Felicity Brockhuizen '22 RBI single and an RBI sacrifice fly by Corcoran in the third inning extended the Elmira lead to 7-0.
 
It looked as though Elmira was on track to mercy the Gators, but a grand-slam home run by Kristen Silk trimmed the Soaring Eagle lead to 7-4. However, this was all the offense Sage was able to muster, as the Elmira women tacked on five additional runs to close out a 12-4 win.
 
Jenkins and Johnson added to their RBI total by driving in a pair of runs in the fifth inning on singles, increasing EC's lead to 9-4. Then, a sacrifice fly by Slaven plated Garner in the sixth inning, putting Elmira on top, 10-4.
 
Elmira's final runs of the game came in the top of the seventh, as a ground out by Garner and an RBI single by Chadbourne rounded out EC's big afternoon and solidified an eight-run victory.
 
Eight of Elmira's nine batters logged hits, and of the eight, seven produced multi-hit performances. Garner led the pack with a 4-for-5 showing with three runs scored and an RBI. Jenkins was 3-for-4 with a trio of runs scored and an RBI, while Barr also produced four hits (3-for-5) with two runs and an RBI.
 
Johnson went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Chadbourne logged two hits on five at-bats with one run and one RBI, while Slaven was 2-for-3 with a team-leading three RBIs. Brockhuizen finished 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI, and Kaztenberger went 1-for-5 with one run scored this afternoon.  
 
Barr got the start in the pitcher's circle for Elmira and tossed a full 7.0 innings. She fanned three batters en route to the win, which improved her record this season to 4-5.
 
In Her Own Words…
Head Coach Rhonda Faunce reflects on getting career win 400 and EC getting today's sweep…
"It's about time we got the 400th win, it's taken a while, but I'm really happy for the sweep and even evened up our record again. Both of our pitchers are doing great. They motivate each other to throw their best and they are being great teammates. They are happy for each other."
 
News and Notes

• Faunce registered her 400th career coaching win.
• Faunce is Elmira's all-time wins leader in both softball and women's volleyball.
• Elmira earned its first E8 sweep of the season.
• Elmira produced season highs in hits, runs, RBIs and home runs in game two.
• Slaven logged her 100th career strikeout.
• Slaven's 53 strikeouts this season is a single-season best.
• Chadbourne hit her team-leading fourth homer of the season.
• Chadbourne's four home runs are tied for sixth-most in EC single-season history.
• Chadbourne's five career homers are tied for eighth in EC history.
• Jenkins and Johnson hit their first home runs of the season.

 
Up Next
Elmira is back in action on Wednesday, April 17, when the Soaring Eagles travel to face the Pioneers of Alfred State. The first pitch of the non-conference doubleheader is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Alfred, New York.