Game One: Alfred University 5, Elmira College 2
Game Two: Elmira College 5, Alfred University 4
Records: Elmira (7-7, 1-3 E8), Alfred (13-13, 5-3 E8)
Location: Eldridge Park Stadium – Elmira, N.Y.
ELMIRA N.Y. -- A walk-off double by senior
Sam Chadbourne '19 in the second game of today's doubleheader against Alfred University helped the Elmira College softball team earn a split. The Saxons picked up a 5-2 win in game one, before Chadbourne's late-game heroics paved the way for a 5-4 Soaring Eagle victory in the nightcap. The win was Elmira's first within Empire 8 Conference play.
Game One
A four-run first inning for Alfred was the difference in the opening game, as the Saxons held onto their lead for a three-run win. A one-out Jillian Murray single drove in the game-opening run, and then a pair of Elmira errors helped the Saxons plate three additional runs in the top of the first inning.
Allison O'Toole made it a 5-0 Saxon lead in the top of the third inning with a two-out RBI triple to right center field.
The Soaring Eagles answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Chadbourne drove in EC's first run of the game on a hard-hit single to right field, one that scored
Rachel Katzenberger '19 from second base. One batter later, with two outs,
Ally Barr '21 drove a pitch the opposite way to right field and scored
Sarah Garner '20 from third base.
Although EC trimmed the Alfred lead to three runs, the Soaring Eagles were unable to complete the comeback, as they stranded a runner on base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Alfred's Moreta Dyke came in for relief duty in the fifth inning and closed the door on Elmira with three shutout innings, all but securing a 5-2 win for the Saxons.
Maddy Johnson '19 and Chadbourne produced multi-hit games. Johnson was 2-for-4, while Chadbourne was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Carolyn Corcoran '19, Katzenberger and Barr all finished with one hit apiece. Katzenberger scored one run, as did Garner, while Barr logged one RBI. Barr, who was also EC's starting pitcher, tossed 7.0 innings and struck out one batter. She allowed five runs, but just two were earned.
Game Two
Alfred took another early lead in the nightcap, as an RBI single by Lu Krawczyk plated O'Toole in the second inning to put the Saxons up, 1-0. However, Elmira's offense responded in the bottom half of the second inning with a pair of runs to claim its first lead of the afternoon.
Chadbourne kick-started EC's efforts with a leadoff single, but back-to-back outs - including a sacrifice bunt - left the senior on second base. On the ensuing at-bat, EC's
Bianca Palese '21 laced a hit down the left-field line to score Chadbourne from second.
A fielding error by Alfred's first basemen allowed
Samantha Jenkins '20 to reach safely and advance Palese to third. With runners on the corners, Alfred's Moreta Dyke whipped a pitch into the dirt, one that ran past the catcher and to the backstop. The wild pitch allowed Jenkins to race home and put Elmira ahead, 2-1.
Elmira padded its lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, as hot shot from Johnson was misplayed by the Alfred second baseman and set the speedy Jenkins up to score from third base.
The Saxons trimmed EC's lead to 3-2 in the top of the fifth inning on a Jillian Murray RBI single, but Elmira answered once again in the bottom of the sixth with another run to put the Purple and Gold back on top by two runs, 4-2.
Barr led-off the sixth inning with an opposite-field double. Head Coach
Rhonda Faunce pinch-ran
Alexis Dinga '22 for Barr, and after advancing to third base on the ensuing at-bat, Palese hit a slow dribbler to first base that scored Dinga. On the hit, Palese avoided the tag, but drew the first basemen in long enough to allow Dinga to slide into home plate safely.
Elmira looked to close out the Saxons in the top of the seventh, but a one-out hit by pitch, followed by an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly, saw Alfred tie the score at 4-4.
In the bottom half of the seventh inning, EC popped out and grounded out, picking up two quick outs. Then, on a 2-2 count, Garner ripped a single through the left side of the infield to prolong the inning. On the ensuing at-bat, Chadbourne fouled off the first two pitches she saw, before smashing the third pitch deep to right field. The hard-hit ball reached the fence and Coach Faunce gave Garner, who was wheeling all the way from first base, the green light to go home. The throw from right field never made its way to home plate, as Garner safely crossed home to clinch a 5-4 walk-off win.
Chadbourne and Garner both went 2-for-4 at the dish with a pair of runs scored; Chadbourne also logged the game-winning RBI. Palese was a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs scored, two RBIS and a walk. Johnson and Barr each logged one hit apiece. Dinga scored once for EC.
Mckenzie Slaven '20 got the start in the pitcher's circle and produced another solid performance. She tossed a full 7.0 innings en route to improving to 4-3 on the season.
News and Notes
- Elmira picked up its first Empire 8 win of the season.
- EC earned its first win over Alfred since April 25, 2014.
- The win snapped a nine-game skid against the Saxons.
- Chadbourne led EC at the plate with a 4-for-7 (.571) showing at the plate.
- Jenkins was 2-for-4 (.500) at the dish.
- Slaven improved to 4-3 on the year.
- Chadbourne produced her team-leading 11th RBI of the season.
- Johnson moved into fourth place in EC history for career hits (110).
- Johnson is one run scored from moving into a tie for 10th place in EC history (58).
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles are back in action next Saturday, April 13, when they host Stevens Institute of Technology in a 1:00 Empire 8 Conference doubleheader at Eldridge Park Stadium.
