Softball Falls to Swarthmore, Bests Geneva Wednesday

NAPLES, Fla.- The Eastern Nazarene College softball team suffered a 3-1 setback to Swarthmore before bouncing back to earn a 6-2 victory over Geneva Wednesday afternoon.

The Lions moves to 6-2 on the season with the results. The Garnet improves to 4-4 overall and the Golden Tornadoes progress to 3-3 on the spring.

Viviana Coix (Warrenville, Ill.) registered three hits, two runs scored, and one RBI on the day. Tylan Onorato (Wiscassett, Maine) chipped in with a pair of base knocks and one run scored. Lauren Weidler (Lansdale, Pa.) finished with one hit, one RBI, and scored one run.

In the matinee matchup, the Lions mustered two hits and Swarthmore scored a pair of late runs to clinch the win.

Eastern Nazarene generated a run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. After Coix roped a one-out double to center, Weidler singled up the middle to drive in her team-leading seventh RBI.

Swarthmore evened the contest with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Emilie Morse launched a lead-off home run to centerfield to get the Garnet on the board.

The Garnet plated a pair of runs in the sixth to gain a 3-1 edge. Sara Planthaber and Morse notched back-to-back RBI doubles to give Swarthmore its first lead of the day.

Meghan Stanley (Bedford, Mass.) tossed three innings in her first pitching appearance of the season and picked up one strikeout. Elisabeth Schaffer (Benton, Pa.) worked three frames and struck out five batters in her first relief outing of the spring.

In their second game of the day, the Lions scored in each of the first five innings and collected nine base hits to defeat the Golden Tornadoes for the first time in program history.

Geneva opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first to establish a 1-0 lead. Laura Innocenzi crossed the dish as Casey Farkosovsky reached base due to an error.

Eastern Nazarene answered with a score in the home half of the first inning to knot the game at 1-1. Schaffer poked a two-out single to right to drive in Coix.

The Lions pushed across a run in the second frame to jump ahead 2-1. Heidi Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.) scurried home from third base as Kayleen Garrick (Sparks, Nev.) reached first on an infield single.

Eastern Nazarene doubled its advantage in the third, 3-1, as Weidler scored from third on a double off the bat of Kori Bow (Shaftsbury, Vt.).

The Lions chalked up a pair of runs in the fourth to stretch the margin to 5-1. Emily Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.) and Onorato both crossed the dish as Coix reached on an error.

The Golden Tornadoes cut the deficit to 5-2 as Ashley Grow singled to center to drive in Haley Sainato with two outs in the fifth inning.

Eastern Nazarene regained a four-run advantage, 6-2, in the bottom of the fifth frame as Coix singled to right to plate Heidi Gomez.

Heidi Gomez pitched a complete game and finished with eight strikeouts.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene will wrap up play in the Sunshine State March 9 against Dominican (Ill.) and Mount Mary.