WORCESTER, Mass. – Sophomore Jessica Hay and first-year Bella Crow shined in the circle to lead the Colgate softball team to pivotal 3-1 and 2-0 wins at Holy Cross Saturday afternoon.
 
Hay limited Holy Cross to just four hits in the 3-1 series-opening win, while Crow twirled a five-hit, seven-strikeout gem to collect her first-career shutout in the 2-0 nightcap victory.
 
Sophomore Virginia Irby led the Raider bats with a 5-for-7 showing at the plate, two runs scored and two doubles in the two games combined. Senior Holly Geranen drove in two runs in the opener.
 
The Crusaders took a 1-0 lead in their first at-bat of the day's opener thanks to a solo home run, but Hay took control from there to keep Holy Cross scoreless the rest of the way.
 
The Raiders knotted the score at 1-1 in the third inning as Irby tallied a one-out single before Geranen sent a two-out RBI single through the right side.
 
After a scoreless fourth and fifth innings, the Raiders scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth. Geranen drew a walk to put a runner on base before a Holy Cross error on a bunt from first-year Mia Guevarra allowed Colgate to pull ahead 2-1.
 
The combination of Irby and Geranen then added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Irby smacked her second double of the day before Geranen came through with an RBI single up the middle. Hay then wrapped up her strong complete-game effort in the bottom of the seventh to seal the 3-1 Colgate victory.
 
The nightcap shaped up to be a pitchers duel. The game was scoreless until the Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Junior Meghan Romero got the frame started with a single before moving to second on a Lafayette error. Geranen laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Romero to third. After Guevarra drew a walk, a Holy Cross throwing error allowed Romero to run home and give the Raiders a 1-0 lead.
 
Colgate then added an insurance run in the top of the seventh as back-to-back doubles from sophomores Sabrina Odierno and Blake Brackett were followed by an RBI single off the bat of Irby to make it 2-0 Raiders.
 
Crow pitched lights out, allowing just one Holy Cross runner to get into scoring position. The first-year worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh to retire the next three batters and seal the 2-0 win and doubleheader sweep.
 
BOTTOM LINES

• Colgate 3, Holy Cross 1
• Colgate 2, Holy Cross 0

 
WON-LOST RECORDS

• The Raiders improve to 5-9 in Patriot League play, jumping over Holy Cross into fifth place in the league standings and within striking distance of tournament contention (top four in league standings). Colgate is now 10-28 overall.
• The Crusaders drop to 4-10 against league foes and 11-29 on the season.

 
KEY RAIDER INFO

• Hay finished with a line of one earned run on four hits with one strikeout in a full 7.0 innings of work.
• Crow recorded a line of no runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in her first-career shutout.
• Irby went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored in the 3-1 victory.
• She followed with a 2-for-4 showing in the nightcap to finish the day 5-for-7.
• Geranen was 2-for-3 with two RBI in the 3-1 win.
• Odierno was 2-for-3 with a run scored in the 2-0 victory.
• Colgate out-hit the Crusaders 14-9 on the day.
• The Raiders finished the two games with five doubles compared to Holy Cross' two.

 
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Marissa Lamison-Myers

• "Today we played complete games on both sides of the ball. Bella and Jess both pitched lights out. We had some great defensive plays by Mia and Meghan and timely hitting from Holly and Virginia. Overall, I was very happy with the grit and determination by the team today."

 
UP NEXT

• Colgate and Holy Cross wrap up their three-game series Sunday with a 12 p.m. single game.
• Free video will be available on the Patriot League Network.