GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A doubleheader on Saturday evening at the T-Mobile Tournament gave Colgate softball two drastically different results. Game one went in favor of the No. 14 Florida Gators by a score of 21-0, but game two gave the Raiders a 5-4 extra-inning decision to halt a four-game losing streak.
Game 1 - Colgate 0, Florida 21
The No. 14 Gators scored in every inning of the Saturday doubleheader as the Raiders struggled to find their groove in the batter's box.
Colgate was down by five after two stanzas with sophomore pitcher Maya Servedio allowing six hits and walking two batters.
Florida never looked back, earning 19 total hits in the game and crossing the plate 13 times in the bottom of the third to take a definitive lead over the visitors.
Fifth-year Adrienne Nardone went on to break up the Florida no-hitter and perfect game in the fifth frame, sending a hard-hit ball to third base and beating out the throw for a single. First-year Niamh Dougherty reached base safely in her second-straight outing when she shot a single through the left side for Colgate's second hit later in the inning.
It was as much as the Raiders would get, however, as they fell to Florida for the second consecutive game.
Game 2 - Colgate 5, UIC 4
Colgate came out with a vengeance in a back-and-forth game two, scoring the first run of the evening when Fusco knocked in Herbst with an RBI single in the opening frame.
UIC would retake the lead in the bottom of the inning with a base hit and an error, but the Raiders would quickly respond.
With two outs in the third, Nardone lifted her second home run of the season and the 19th of her career to put Colgate back in front. The two-run shot moved into a tie for seventh most home runs in program history.
The Flames did not roll over, again tying the game in the bottom of the fifth before threatening Colgate by loading the bases in the sixth.
But Bailey Misken had other plans, however, taking the reins from Alexa Acker to force a dribbler to first base, which Fusco easily fielded to get out of the inning unscathed.
The Raiders were retired in order in the top of the seventh, and Misken found herself in another jam when the Flames put the winning runner on third with two outs. The fifth-year pitcher delivered again for Colgate, forcing a grounder to third to send the game to extras.
With Carney starting the eighth on second base, Herbst quickly singled her home to give the Raiders the advantage. Fusco scored Shelton two at-bats later for her second RBI of the night, and Colgate entered the final half-inning with a two-run cushion.
UIC would cut the lead to one to keep things interesting, but with the tying run 60 feet away, Misken calmly worked out of her third-consecutive jam to force a ground out and clinch the Colgate victory.
UP NEXT
The Raiders wrap up the final game of the T-Mobile Tournament on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. against Lafayette.
