ALFRED, N.Y. – After providing a flare of late-inning dramatics on Tuesday, the Elmira College Softball program dropped a 6-0 decision against No. 1 overall seed Alfred University in its first matchup of the double elimination Empire 8 Softball Championships on Thursday at Harrington Field.

The Soaring Eagles, who are the No. 5 overall seed in the tournament will match up against the No. 3 overall seed Russell Sage College on Friday at 12:30 P.M. in an elimination contest after the Gators dropped a 9-1 decision against No. 2 overall seed St. John Fisher University.
 

GAME INFORMATION:
SCORE: Elmira 0, Alfred 6
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (20-18), Alfred (25-12-1)
LOCATION: Alfred, New York | Harrington Field
W|L|S: A. Hatch (W, 13-4) | M. Sobel (L, 12-11) | None


HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Soaring Eagles would yield a run to the Saxons in the bottom of the first inning after recording the first two outs of the inning via a fly out and a ground out. A pair of back-to-back singles from Alfred put them ahead on the scoreboard 1-0 before Elmira starter Maryann Sobel '25 recorded the final out of the frame to strand a pair of runners on base.
 
Alfred stranded a pair of runners on base following a pair of singles in the bottom of the second inning to keep the score at 1-0 before the Soaring Eagles would get their first base runner via a one-out walk to Hannah Flagg '24. EC would be unable to bring Flagg around to score as the Saxons left her stranded on first base.
 
Madison Brown-Bloom '23 worked a two-out walk for the Purple & Gold in the top of the fourth inning but would be left at first base after a ground out to the pitcher ended the frame for Alfred. The Saxons opened the margin on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and would later add three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
Sobel worked 3.1 innings in the circle and would be handed the loss for Elmira after yielding three runs off six hits to go along with a pair of walks. Madison Lodowski '26 and Jillian Cortez '23 both pitched in relief for the Soaring Eagles as Lodowski allowed a run to score off three hits through 1.2 innings of work, while Cortez yielded a pair of runs despite not allowing a hit through one inning in the circle.
 

UP NEXT:
The Soaring Eagles will look to keep their Empire 8 Softball Championship hopes alive with an elimination contest against the Russell Sage College Gators at 12:30 P.M. on Friday from Harrington Field on the campus of Alfred University.