Troy, NY— Sage's softball team hosted the Golden Flyers of Nazareth College on Sunday afternoon in an Empire 8 double header. Sage won the first game 5-4 with a walk-off, but fell 7-2 in the night cap. Sage is now 9-15 overall and 3-5 in the Empire 8. Nazareth stands at 5-8 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Game #1 Sage 5-4
Sage got a 1-0 lead with an RBI single by senior Lindsey Decker (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa) before Nazareth took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning as senior infielder Marissa Tortora (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit) belted a two run home run to left field.
The Gator hitters were not deterred and graduate player Lisa Kentris (Latham, NY/Shaker) doubled to left center and scored on a sacrifice fly by Decker. Decker scored on a double to left center by junior Amanda Kiriakos (Yonkers, NY/Saunders Trade & Technical) to make the third lead change in the action. Kiriakos advanced to third on a single by junior Destiny Wierzbicki (Albany, NY/Troy) before a double steal put the next play in order as Kiriakos stole home on the play.
In the top of the sixth inning with one out, sophomore Katherine Rouff (Vestal, NY/Vestal) singled to left center followed by another single by rookie Ally Smith (Windsor, NY/Windsor). On back to back fielders choice plays, sophomore Janelle Walters (North Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) reached on a fielder's choice and drove in Rouff who scored from third base pulling Nazareth within a run, down 4-3.
In the top of the seventh inning, Tortora walked before moving to second on a sacrifice. Junior Kristen Simmons (Victor, NY/Victor) singled to left center. Rookie Sarah Simmons (Victor, NY/Victor) had an RBI sacrifice fly to drive in Tortora and tie the action at 4-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Gators led off with a single to center field by sophomore pitcher Katerina Lagace (Newington, CT/Newington). She was replaced by pinch runner Cassidy Schaeffer. Junior pinch hitter Kristen Silk (Freehold, NY/Greenville) had a sac bunt to move Schaeffer over. Kentris singled to left moving Schaeffer to third base before senior co-captain Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills) singled to right field and give Sage the 5-4 win.
Lagace earned the complete game win to move to 4-7 after scattering 10 hits with four earned runs and 3 strikeouts. Nazareth's junior pitcher Kylie Smith (Buffalo, NY/Nichols) took the loss after 6.2 innings of work with four earned runs of 10 hits with one strikeouts and no walks.
Game #2 Nazareth 7-2 Sage
Nazareth jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top half of the first inning and the Gators had to play catch-up after senior Madison Joseph (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye-Lima) belted a three run homerun to left field to spot the Golden Flyers to an early lead.
In the bottom of the first Kentris led off with a single and stole second. She moved to third on a ground out and was driven in by Duncan to cut Nazareth's lead to 2 as Sage trailed 3-1 through one inning of work.
Nazareth added single run in the top of the third inning and tacked up three more runs in the top of the fifth, leading 7-1. Sage tacked on one more run in the bottom of the sixth after with one out Duncan walked. Mikayla Culnan (West Sand Lake, NY/Emma Willard School) pinch ran and stole second before Kiriakos singled. Sage managed a double steal moving the runner over before Silk grounded out to short to drive in Culnan, but that was all the Gators could tally in the action.
Rookie pitcher Victoria Alvord (Greenfield Center, NY/Saratoga Central Catholic) started and suffered the loss after 0.1 inning of work and drops to 1-2 after she allowed three runs off two hits with a walk. Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) worked in relief for 4.0 innings and allowed two earned runs off four hits, before junior Alicia Swavely (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) and Lagace worked in relief.
Nazareth's sophomore Gabriella Corasaniti (North Syracuse, NY/Ciciero-North Syracuse) collected the complete game win moving to 2-4 on the year after allowing just 2 runs off five hits.