HORSEHEADS, N.Y. – It took the Elmira College softball team just ten innings to record a doubleheader sweep in its non-conference matchup with the Hilbert Hawks on Tuesday evening, picking up an 8-0 win in game one before posting a 14-3 effort in game two. Both games would be decided in the bottom half of the fifth inning, as the Soaring Eagles "walked it off" against the Hawks, with Bella DeAmelia '24 delivering a, RBI single to the right-centerfield gap in game one before Kaitlyn Belmont '24 launched a grand slam to finish the contest in game two.
GAME INFORMATION:
SCORE: Elmira 8, Hilbert 0 (G1)
Elmira 14, Hilbert 3 (G2)
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (6-6, 0-0 Empire 8), Hilbert (0-10, 0-0 AMCC)
LOCATION: Horseheads, New York | Holding Point Recreation Complex
W|L|S: M. Sobel (W, 4-2) | B. McAndrews (L, 0-5) | None (G1)
J. Cortez (W, 2-1) | B. Budziszewski (L, 0-3) | None (G2)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In game one, it took little time for the Soaring Eagles to crack the scoreboard against Hawks starting pitcher Brittany McAndrews. After Asia Curkendall '25 walked and stole second base, eventually advancing to third on a passed ball, Amelia Martin '23 would work some two-out magic, doubling to right field as part of a 3-for-3 day, scoring the games' opening run. From there, Madison Brown-Bloom '23 would single home Martin on the next at-bat, giving Soaring Eagle starting pitcher Maryann Sobel '25 some early breathing room.
Offense on both sides would go quiet over the next four and a half innings of play, with Sobel setting down each of the first seven Hawks she faced. After Sobel pitched to a clean fifth inning, her afternoon would come to an end after going 5.0 innings, allowing just one hit, one walk, and pitching to ten groundouts of her 17 batters faced.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Soaring Eagles would go for six runs on four hits, while taking advantage of a pair of Hawk errors to pick up the 8-0 win, forcing a mercy rule. In the inning, hits from Katie Distefano '24, Curkendall, and Martin, would eventually set up DeAmelia for the game-winning hit as she singled to the gap, scoring Brown-Bloom to finish up game one. Distefano would finish the game with a pair of hits at the dish, to go along with Martin's three. The Soaring Eagles would finish the game with six stolen bases for a league-leading 25 on the season, as Curkendall through 12 games has posted a perfect 10-of-10 effort.
Jill Cortez '23 would get the starting nod in game two, as the senior pitched to just a pair of hits through the first two innings of play before the Elmira offense got to work. In the bottom of the second, Martin would lead off the inning with a home run to left-centerfield, giving the Purple & Gold its first run of the ballgame. From there, EC would go on to score three additional runs, using walks, fielder's choices, wild pitches, and a Hawk error to increase its early lead to 4-0.
The Hawks would plate three runs of its own in the next half inning, trimming the EC lead to 4-3. The Soaring Eagles would then respond with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the third, taking the 8-3 advantage as a two-RBI triple from Brown-Bloom, a pair of wild pitches, and a single from DeAmelia increased the EC lead to five.
After a clean inning on the defensive side for both teams in the fourth, Elmira would turn the ball over to Madison Lodowski '26. Cortez finished the afternoon going 4.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, while walking one and striking out four. Lodowski would toss a clean top of the fifth, allowing just one walk.
In the bottom half, Elmira would need just two runs and added five as Belmont would walk the game off with a grand slam, sealing the 14-3 victory. Belmont would finish 2-for-4 at the dish, with DeAmelia, Martin, and Hannah Flagg '24 each providing two hits a piece in game two.
UP NEXT:
The Soaring Eagles will return to the field tomorrow afternoon when taking on the Wildcats from Cazenovia College in another twin-bill. First pitch in game one is set for 3:00 PM at the Holding Point Recreation Complex.
