COLLEGE SOFTBALL: ELMIRA COLLEGE SWEEPS DH AGAINST ALFRED STATE IN HOME OPENER (24 PHOTOS) (2023-03-23)

Southern Tier Sports Report
HORSEHEADS, N.Y. – The Elmira College softball program recorded 17 hits, while receiving dominant pitching performances from MaryAnn Sobel '25 and Jillian Cortez '23 on Wednesday afternoon, as the Soaring Eagles were able to record a pair of victories in its home-opener against Alfred State on Wednesday.

With neither of the two games playing the full seven innings, Madison Brown-Bloom '23 (4-for-5; 6 RBI) and Kaitlyn Belmont '24 (4-for-6; 4 RBI) would serve as the top offensive performers for the Soaring Eagles over the pair of games.

GAME INFORMATION:
SCORE: Elmira 9, Alfred State 1 (G1; F/5)
               Elmira 10, Alfred State  2 (G2; F/6)
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (3-5, 0-0 Empire 8), Alfred State (2-10, 0-0 AMCC)
LOCATION: Horseheads, New York | Holding Point Recreation Complex
W|L|S: M. Sobel (W, 2-2) | MA. Beidel (L, 1-6) | None (G1)
            J. Cortez (W, 1-1) | A. Farrell (L, 1-4) | None (G2)

HOW IT HAPPENED:
In game one, Sobel was able to set each of the first three Pioneers down in order (all groundouts), before Elmira wasted little to no time getting the offense to click in the bottom half. After the leadoff hitter flew out to begin the Elmira offensive attack, Asia Curkendall '25 and Belmont were each able to reach base via the walk before a wild pitch put a pair in scoring position for EC. From there, another walk would load the bases with two outs before Brown-Bloom would clear them all with a double to right centerfield and put Elmira ahead 3-0 in the early-going.

The Pioneers would score its lone run of the game against Sobel in the second after a single and a fielder's choice set up the visitors for an RBI double from Lauryn Engle, scoring Felecia Capi to trim its deficit to 3-1.

Elmira would put a pair into scoring position in the bottom of the second on infield singles from Sobel and Bella DeAmelia '24, as both advanced on a passed ball. Not long after, the Soaring Eagles would produce its fourth and fifth runs of the contest as another wild pitch scored Sobel before a sacrifice fly from Curkendall brought home DeAmelia and made the score 5-1.

The game would go quiet over the next inning and a half before Elmira got things going once again in the fourth using two-out magic. With a runner on and two down, Elmira was able to use walks to its advantage, followed by a 2 RBI single from Curkendall, scoring Emma Whalen '26 and DeAmelia to increase the Elmira lead to 7-1. After Curkendall stole her second base in game one to get into scoring position, Belmont would double her home to make the score 8-1.

After Sobel set down the Pioneers in the fifth, she would finish her afternoon going 5.0 IP, allowing one run (earned), on two hits, while walking one and striking out a pair. The Soaring Eagles would end the game in the bottom half an RBI single from Brown-Bloom set the run rule into effect, leaving Elmira with a 9-1 win in game one.

In game two, the Soaring Eagles would use five runs in the second and third innings on five hits to take an early 5-0 lead in the contest. In the second, EC would score runs on a Brown-Bloom triple and a Katie DiStefano '24 groundout, while in the third Elmira would plate three on RBI hits from Martin (2 RBI) and Brown-Bloom.

Leading 5-0 heading into the fifth, the Purple & Gold would score three runs on three hits, using a Pioneer advantage to its error to increase the lead to 8-2. An RBI hit from Belmont, followed by the error which scored a pair and an RBI walk from Hannah Flagg '24 ended the scoring for EC in the frame.

Cortez would allow just one hit in the sixth, concluding her line as she finished going 6.0 IP, allowing a pair of runs (both earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out four.

In the bottom of the sixth, EC would plate a pair on another RBI single from Belmont, followed by a throwing error to score her, placing the run rule into effect again with Elmira going home with the 10-2 victory.

On the day, Curkendall stole five bases for the Soaring Eagles, who in total finished with 11 on the afternoon.

UP NEXT:
Weather permitting, the Soaring Eagles are set to return to the field on Saturday afternoon when taking on the Tigers from Rochester Institute of Technology with first pitch of game one set for 1:00 PM. The games will mark the 63rd and 64th time the two teams have squared off in program history, with its first meeting since the 2011 season.
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RELEASE COURTESY OF ELMIRA COLLEGE ATHLETICS. . . PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES