HAMILTON – Colgate softball split its Senior Day doubleheader against Lafayette on Friday afternoon. The Raiders fell 5-2 in game one before winning game two with a 3-2 walk-off.
Senior
Rachel Carney nailed a homer off a full count to give the Raiders a 3-2 walk-off victory to salvage the Senior Day twin bill.
GAME 1 | Lafayette 5, Colgate 2
The Leopards struck first in the game as Lafayette scored back-to-back runs off pitcher
Bailey Misken to lead 2-0 after the opening inning.
Colgate answered in the bottom of the first as Carney started the offense with a walk, then a stolen base. In scoring position, Carney was sent home to cut the lead to 2-1 after junior
Kara Fusco doubled to right field and then advanced to third off a fielding error.
The Raiders tied the game up at two in the bottom of the fourth after catcher
Quinn Livesay singled up the middle to bring home senior
Adrienne Nardone, who singled to right field two at-bats before Livesay.
Unfortunately for Colgate, Lafayette tacked on three runs to the board in the top of the sixth, forcing
Mia Edwards to take over the mound for Misken. Colgate tried to gain the Leopards' runs back in the bottom of the sixth and seventh after Jacoby doubled to right center, Carney walked, and
Jillian Herbst singled. Ultimately, all three were left stranded to hold the score at 5-2 to give Lafayette its third Patriot League win of the season.
GAME 2 | Colgate 3, Lafayette 2
In a similar fashion to game one, Lafayette scored two runs early, this time off
Alexa Acker to open the offense. The Leopards scored runs because of a fielding error and a wild pitch in the top of the third, which forced Edwards to make her second reliever appearance of the day.
The Raider bats retaliated in the bottom of the third after Carney found herself in scoring position after being hit by a pitch and then stealing second base. Just like the first game, Fusco brought Carney home to cut the deficit to 2-1 after hitting a single to right field.
Colgate kept its momentum going in the fourth as Edwards in the defense got three quick outs before the offense tied the game at two.
Sophomore Livesay hit a leadoff single to open the inning before Freshman
Dani Rosner came into the game to pinch run for Livesay. Rosner eventually advanced to second after senior
Taylor Ludwick hit a sacrifice bunt on the next at-bat. The first-year player tied the game at two after Nardone singled to right center.
Lafayette showed one final spark of offense in the sixth after two batters walked and singled but were left stranded to end the Leopards' offensive efforts.
Carney took the game for Colgate in the bottom of the seventh after hitting a walk-off dinger that pushed the score to its final tally of 3-2.
NOTES
- Carney tied the single-season record of 21 stolen bases today after stealing two.
- Edwards finished the day allowing three hits, zero runs, and striking out two batters in six innings.
UP NEXT
Colgate (17-27, 6-8 PL) looks to grab the series win against Lafayette on Saturday, April 29. First pitch against the Leopards is tentatively scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at the Eaton Street Softball Complex.
