ALBANY, N.Y. – Colgate Softball earned a doubleheader split at UAlbany on Saturday, taking the first game 2-1 in eight innings before dropping a 2-0 decision in the nightcap.
Jillian Herbst paced Colgate's offense with four hits on the day, including her second collegiate home run that made the difference in Game 1.
Steph Jacoby added three hits, while
Bailey Misken,
Kaitlyn Borruso, and
Mia Edwards allowed just three earned runs in 14 innings in the circle.
Game 1 | Colgate 2, UAlbany 1 (8)
Herbst stroked a solo home run to straightaway center field in the top of the eighth to push Colgate past Albany 2-1 in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader. Strong pitching on both sides sent the game to extra innings with each team scoring once in the fifth inning.
Misken struck out four and allowed one run on five hits in five innings of work. Borruso scattered five hits and struck out four in three scoreless innings of relief.
Colgate had a runner in scoring position in the top of the first when Herbst led off with a single and
Adrienne Nardone worked a walk, but a strikeout ended the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Albany's Wendi Hammond tried scoring from third base on a ground ball, but
Rachel Carney's charging throw from short beat her to the plate and
Morgan Farrah laid the tag in time. Misken stranded a runner on second in the bottom of the fourth to keep the game scoreless.
Colgate broke the scoreless game with help from Albany's defense in the top of the fifth. Herbst beat out an infield single and later came around to score on an error.
Taylor Ludwick's shot into right field was misplayed and allowed Herbst to score all the way from first to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead.
The lead did not last, however, as Albany tied the game with an RBI single to left field by Alexis Phillips in the bottom of the inning. Misken worked out of further trouble, inducing a groundout to strand two runners in scoring position and keep the game tied at 1-1 through five innings.
Borruso stranded two runners in scoring position in each of the last two innings and capped off the 2-1 eight-inning win with a strikeout to improve to 5-1 on the season.
Game 2 | UAlbany 2, Colgate 0
Albany's second-inning home run made the difference in the nightcap. That was the only blemish on the final pitching line for Edwards, who struck out two and scattered four hits over six innings.
Sierra Fretz's two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the second gave the Great Danes the only runs they needed. Edwards allowed just two hits the rest of the way, and one of those was a bunt in the bottom of the fifth.
Despite outhitting Albany 7-4, the Raiders couldn't scratch a run against Edwards' counterpart, Garrett Briana, who went the distance and struck out three in the seven-inning shutout.
Colgate had a baserunner in every inning after the top of the first. The Raiders' best scoring opportunity came in the top of the sixth when Jacoby singled to advance
Claire Whalen to second with one out. Briana escaped the jam with a pair of flyouts to strand both runners on base.
Carney tried to stretch a double into a triple in the top of the seventh, but the ensuing throw beat her to the bag, and then a groundout ended the game with the Great Danes holding on for the 2-0 final.
UP NEXT
Colgate (9-14) starts conference play next weekend with a three-game series at Holy Cross. First pitch on Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for noon, with ESPN+ carrying the livestream.
