The Houghton College softball team lost 5-1 and 19-2 in the doubleheader against the SUNY Geneseo Knights.
In Game one the Highlanders got on the board first in the bottom of the second.
Bailey Shattell (Syracuse, NY, Faith Heritage) hit a triple with one out in the inning and after
Sarah Beirne (Port Jervis, NY, Port Jervis) walked it put runners at the corners. Then the Knight's catcher let a ball by her giving the speedy Shattell enough time to score from third.
In the top of the third the Knights came right back to score three runs on three hits making the score 3-1.
From that point on Knights pitcher Mikayla Moore shut down the Highlanders not allowing them to get anything going.
The Knights added on two insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings and that was plenty.
The win was credited to Moore and
Morgan York (Canisteo, NY, Canisteo-Greenwood) was handed the loss.
In game two the Knights offense caught fire early when leadoff batter Alyssa Presutti hit a homerun to lead off the game.
In the bottom of the first
Adrienne Huston (New Waterford, OH, Crestview High School) forced a walk. Then
Adrean Tiffany (Loweville, NY, Loweville Academy) laid down the sacrifice bunt that moved Huston to second and
Georgianna Stoj (Depew, NY, Sacred Heart Academy) followed that up with a single to right field to put runners on the corners. A wild pitch by the Knights pitcher scored Huston from third to tie it up at one. After York singled and Shattell was hit by a pitch the Highlanders had the bases juiced with only one out. Beirne screamed a liner at the second basemen, but the second baseman caught Shattell in "no man's land" and ended the threat.
In the bottom of the second the Highlanders hit two singles to lead off the inning, which forced Geneseo coach Dave Sylvester to make an early pitching change. After Huston roped a single down the right field line the Highlanders had the bases loaded with one out, but the Highlanders failed to take advantage.
In the top of the third the Knights blew the game open scoring eight runs on six hits and taking advantage of two Highlander errors.
In the bottom half of the third Shattell was hit by a pitch and Beirne followed up with a RBI double scoring Shattell from second making the score 9-2.
The Knights scored seven more runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth
.
The eight run rule ended the game after five innings.
In the box score the Highlanders were led by Beirne who went two for three with two doubles and recorded one RBI.
Jessica Hayner (Waterford, NY, Shenendehowa) was credited with the loss and the win was given to Corrin Spallone.
The Highlanders head to New Jersey on Friday to take on Empire 8 rival Stevens Institute of Technology at 3 p.m.
