HAMILTON – Colgate opened its four-game series with Lehigh on a high note, taking both ends of Saturday's doubleheader at Eaton Street Field. The Raiders walked off for a 6-5 victory in Game 1 before carrying the momentum over to a 9-1 triumph in the nightcap.
Steph Jacoby paced the Raiders offensively, going 5-for-6 at the plate with four RBIs and three runs scored. Seven players finished with multi-hit days.
Kaitlyn Borruso picked up both wins in the circle, tossing 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball with five strikeouts.
Game 1: Colgate 6, Lehigh 5
Saturday's series opener was capped off with a three-run comeback over the final three innings.
Lehigh turned a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead with a four-run top of the fifth after Amanda Greany scored Jaelynn Chesson on an RBI single up the middle.
Colgate started to mount its comeback in the bottom of the fifth.
Morgan Farrah ignited the charge with a two-run homer over everything in left field. The towering shot was her first of two on the day and scored
Virginia Irby who started things up with a single to left.
Trailing 5-4, the Raiders had one last chance and capitalized in the seventh. Jacoby started the rally with a one-out single through the right side.
Taylor Ludwick stepped to the plate and drilled a double to right-center to put two in scoring position with one away for
Adrienne Nardone.
Nardone was the walk-off hero, scorching a two-run single to center field. Ludwick stormed home from second as the winning run and she was met at home plate by the rest of the squad after giving the Raiders their first true walk-off victory of the season.
Borruso tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief while scattering two hits and striking out three in her first victory of the season.
Game 2: Colgate 9, Lehigh 1 (6 Inn.)
The Raiders continued their hot hitting in Game 2 and wasted no time jumping out to an early lead.
Farrah and Jacoby were the sparks right away with a pair of solo jacks.
Kara Fusco and
Mia Guevarra also added RBI knocks to give the Raiders a 4-0 cushion in the home half of the first.
Jacoby added an RBI single in the fourth before the Raiders put the game away with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth. Jacoby was right in the thick of things once again, cranking an RBI double to center field to push the lead to 6-1.
Ludwick ended the game in walk-off fashion again, this time putting the Raiders over the eight-run winning margin with a two-run double down the left field line.
Lehigh's left fielder threw the ball home and allowed Ludwick to advance to third, but she was hung up after rounding the base too hard. The ensuing throw to third sailed high and Ludwick raced all the way home as the walk-off run to secure the 9-1 six-inning triumph.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Marissa Lamison-Myers
On the games:
"I am beyond proud of our offense being patient, sticking with our approach and battling back.
Kaitlyn Borruso did a stellar job keeping us in Game 1 and giving us the opportunity to come all the way back and eventually walk it off. Our defense held strong against a tough Lehigh line up.
Virginia Irby was a wall behind the plate, keeping everything in front and limiting their extra bases. Today was a total team effort."
NOTES
• Colgate earned its first doubleheader sweep of Lehigh since 1992.
• After two homers on Saturday,
Morgan Farrah is now tied for the team lead with five on the year.
• Farrah's 19 career home runs moves her into a tie for sixth-most in program history.
•
Steph Jacoby's five-hit day pushed her batting average to .412 (21-for-51) for the season.
• Colgate racked up 23 hits in the doubleheader, including five doubles and three more homers.
UP NEXT
Colgate concludes its four-game series with Lehigh on Sunday. First pitch on the doubleheader from Eaton Street Field is slated for noon.
