Softball splits doubleheader at Nazareth; wins, 14-10, falls 9-8

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The RIT Softball team split a doubleheader at Nazareth, Thursday, winning the opener, 14-10, before falling late, 9-8, in game-two.
 
GAME 1 - RIT 14, NAZARETH 10

• RIT senior Erin Ozminkowski finished 2-for-5 with a homerun, two runs scored and three RBI while sophomore Emma Merkley ended 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI in the opener.
• Nazareth scored twice in the bottom of the first inning, but RIT responded with four runs in the top of the second and eight more in the top of the third for a 12-2 lead.
• First-year Sylvia White led off the second with a single to right and came around after a Nazareth error on a ball hit by sophomore Maria Minemier. First-years Carlianna Ewing and Anna Cavotta loaded the bases with back-to-back singles before Merkley plated two runs with a double to right. Senior Maddy Cook later brought Merkley home with a single to left.
• In the third, Ozminkowski led off with an infield single, before White reached on a Nazareth error and Minemier drew a walk to load the bases. Another Nazareth error allowed Ozminkowski to score from third before Cavotta singled to left to bring home White. Senior Bailey Kehl later knocked a two-run double to right for an 8-2 lead before an RBI ground out by Cook brought Cavotta home. First-year Kate Carlone drew a walk before Ozminkowski launched a three-run shot for a 10-run Tiger lead, 12-2.
• Nazareth came back with six runs – all unearned – on five hits and two Tiger errors in the fourth inning.
• RIT scored twice for a 14-8 lead in the sixth. White led off with a double to left, before advancing to third on the throw after Nazareth dropped a third strike to Minemier and had to throw to first. White then came home after Ewing reached on a Nazareth fielding error before Merkley later knocked a RBI double  to put the game out of reach.
• Junior Jessica Majot earned the win, allowing three hits and two earned before leaving after three innings of work with a 12-2 lead. First-year Mackenzie Blair threw the final four innings, allowing two earned runs on nine hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
• Cook finished 3-for-5 with two RBI while Cavotta ended 2-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored and a RBI. 

GAME 2 – NAZARETH 9, RIT 8

• Cook went 3-for-4 with a grand slam and a double, while Merkley went 3-for-4 with her first career homerun and scored three runs, but it was Nazareth plating five runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn the comeback win.
• Kehl got things going in the top of the first with an RBI single before Nazareth answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.
• RIT scored twice in the third and four more times in the fourth for a 7-1 lead. Merkley hit a solo homerun with one out in the third before Cook later doubled to right and came home on an Ozminkowski single for a 3-1 edge. Minemier reached on an error to start the fourth, before a walk by Cavotta and a single by Merkley loaded the bases. With two outs, Cook cleared the bases with her second homerun of the season.
• Nazareth answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 7-4 deficit, but RIT made it an 8-4 lead when Kehl came around after leading off the top of the sixth with a double.
• Nazareth put together a decisive bottom of the seventh with five runs on six hits, a walk and three wild pitches. 

WHAT'S NEXT
RIT is scheduled to open the home portion of the schedule hosting Keuka next Wednesday (Apr. 2) for a doubleheader slated for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch.