HOUGHTON, NY—Despite a career game from shortstop
Bailey Shattell (Syracuse, NY, Faith Heritage ) (3-for-4, six RBIs and a pair of home runs and a triple) the Houghton Highlanders softball team opened conference play with a pair of losses to the Elmira College Soaring Eagles on Friday afternoon, 7-13 and 5-10.
Game 1: After Houghton tied the game at two in the second inning, the Soaring Eagles hit a pair of home runs in the third and tacked on four more in the fourth to take the lead 9-2.
Shattell ripped a two-run homer in the fourth, then drove a three-run shot out of the park in the fifth, bringing the Highlanders within two.
Elmira plated three more runs in the sixth then tacked on a home run by Julianne Heggie in the seventh to seal the victory.
Justine Phillips (Cato, NY, Cato Meridian ) collected her first three-hit game for the Highlanders.
The Soaring Eagles pounded out 14 hits in the game, including multi-hit games from five different players.
Emily Carlin collected the win for Elmira, tossing five innings and giving up seven hits and striking out four.
Tanya Hatton (Greene, NY , Afton ) took the loss for the Highlanders.
Game 2: Houghton jumped out to an early two run lead in the bottom of the first when Shattell drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice then scored on a single by
Ashley Schenk (Victoria, BC, Pacific Christian ). A double by
Jessica Hayner (Waterford, NY, Shenendehowa ) then drove in Schenk with the second run.
Starting pitcher
Taylor Sile (Hilton, NY, Hilton ) shut down the potent Soaring Eagle offense through the first three innings, allowing only two baserunners.
Elmira could not be held down for long, though, opening up their attack in the fourth. The Soaring Eagles scored five runs on seven hits to go ahead, 5-2.
The visitors tacked on two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a six run lead.
Houghton scrapped back in the bottom of the sixth when the Highlanders collected four straight hits, including a leadoff double by
Kaylee Jentsch (Orchard Park, NY, Orchard Park ) and two-run double by Hayner to draw within three, 8-5.
In the seventh the Soaring Eagles posted another pair of runs on four more hits before retiring the Highlander side in order in the bottom half of the inning to win the game.
Hayner went 3-for-3 for the Highlanders, while teammates Jentsch, Sile and Schenk each posted two hits apiece.
The Soaring Eagles again posted impressive offensive numbers, collecting 15 hits, including multi-hit games from six different players.
Katie McDougal picked up the win for Elmira, pitching five innings and collecting three strikeouts.
Sile was credited with the loss for Houghton, tossing five innings without a strikeout.
The Highlanders return to action tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. for another conference doubleheader against visiting Stevens Institute of Technology.
