HAMILTON – Colgate bashed three homers to defeat Lafayette 9-1 before falling to the Leopards 2-0 in a doubleheader split Friday afternoon at Eaton Street Field.
 
The split moves Colgate to 4-10 overall and 2-6 in Patriot League action, while Lafayette is now 1-9 on the season with a 1-5 mark in League play.
 
Kara Fusco led the Raiders at the plate with three hits, including two home runs, and four RBIs. Bailey Misken picked up her second win in the circle after going the distance without allowing an earned run in the opening contest.
 
Game 1: Colgate 9, Lafayette 1 (5 Inn.)
Colgate powered its way to a five-inning victory in the opener behind three home runs and six extra base hits. Virginia Irby and Morgan Farrah belted back-to-back doubles to get the Raiders on the board in the bottom of the first. Adrienne Nardone added a sac fly and Colgate led 2-0 after one inning.
 
Irby appeared to have a two-run homer in the second. She scorched a line drive to dead centerfield, where Lafayette's Paige Grover sprinted back and briefly snagged it before slamming into the wall and the ball popped out of her glove and over the fence.
 
The umpires originally ruled a home run, but after a discussion, ruled Irby out for passing Christiana Cottrell on the basepaths who was tagging up at first. Cottrell still scored on the play, and one batter later Farrah went yard with a no-doubter to push Colgate in front 4-0.
 
Fusco accounted for the next four Colgate runs. She blasted a solo home run in the third before blistering a three-run bomb in the fourth to give the Raiders an 8-1 cushion. Irby put the game away with an RBI double in the fifth and Colgate cruised to a 9-1 victory.
 
Misken was stellar in the opener, scattering six hits while allowing one unearned run with five strikeouts over five innings to earn the triumph.
 
Game 2: Lafayette 2, Colgate 0
Lafayette turned the tides with strong pitching from Kailee Sawai in the nightcap. Sawai had a no-hitter through four innings and fired a complete-game shutout to earn her first win of the season. She only recorded one strikeout, but stayed in the strike zone with just one walk.
 
Bella Crow was strong in the circle for the Raiders, but could not match her counterpart, allowing two runs over 4 2/3 innings. Misken came in relief after Lafayette took a 2-0 lead on an RBI single from Natasha Miner in the top of the fifth. Misken fired 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
 
Colgate had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the fifth with two runners in scoring position and nobody out. Nardone led off with a single and Fusco roped a double to put runners on second and third, but a pair of shallow flyouts and a groundout kept the Leopards in front 2-0.

The Raiders brought the tying run to the plate in each of the last two innings, but could not cash in with the big hit and Lafayette held on for its first win of the season.
 
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Marissa Lamison-Myers
 
On the games:
"I am super happy with the way we pitched today. Bailey [Misken] and Bella [Crow] controlled the pace and commanded the zone well. It was tough in the second game when we were unable to make the necessary adjustments offensively. It's great to hit the ball over the fence but we need to focus on putting together more competitive at-bats. The top of our order must find a way to compete better. We will make the necessary adjustments and be more competitive tomorrow."
 
NOTES
• Kara Fusco's two homers were the first two of her collegiate career.
• Morgan Farrah knocked her third homer of the season in Colgate's 9-1 win.
• Taylor Ludwick finished the day 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored.
• Bailey Misken and Bella Crow combined for 12 innings pitched, two earned runs, and seven strikeouts.
• Colgate had homered in four straight games before Game 2.
 
 UP NEXT
Colgate and Lafayette wrap up their four-game series on Saturday. First pitch on the doubleheader from Eaton Street Field is scheduled for 12 noon.