ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Houghton College softball team picked up its first win during a non-conference doubleheader against Elmira College, Tuesday, March 30. After giving up their lead in the first game, 8-6, the Highlanders rallied a five-run seventh inning to defeat the Soaring Eagles, 6-1 in the second game. Houghton advances to 1-7 heading into conference play.

Game 1: Houghton 6, Elmira 8
 
Houghton got on the board in the fourth with two runs, but Elmira answered right back with two of its own. The Highlanders had the go ahead run in the fifth after Caitlyn Cybart reached on an error, scoring Hannah Cybart. Grace Thompson popped a sacrifice fly to bring Hannah Haske home to give Houghton a two-run lead.
 
Elmira answered back in the sixth where it took advantage of Houghton miscues to score five, giving them an 8-4 lead. The Highlanders attempted to rally back in the seventh, but would get only a pair of runs from Haske and C. Cybart to fall short, 8-6.
 
Game 1 Notes:

• At the plate, four Highlanders mustered a hit, while four came around to home.
• Going 1-for-1, Thompson added a run and a pair of RBIs to her stat sheet.
• Kayla Loomis earned the starting nod on the mound, pitching 5.1 innings of work. Giving up seven hits and six earned runs, Loomis was dealt the loss (0-4) in her three strikeout performance.

 
Game 2: Houghton 6, Elmira 1
 
Trailing 1-0 most of the game, Houghton scored Keller in the sixth off a H. Cybart single to left field to make it a tie game heading into the seventh.
 
The Highlanders utilized the miscues in the Elmira offense to scramble five runs off two hits to pick up their first win. Back to back errors put Highlanders on first and second before loading the bases with an Elise Swanson walk. Kristin Keller sacrificed herself with a fly out to right field to bring in Thompson.
 
The bases were loaded once again following the Soaring Eagles' eighth walk of the night before a Jen Page single scored two. With a runner on third, H. Cybart drove the ball to shortstop to score another before Page came across off another error. Houghton was ultimately stopped with a pop up to second.
 
Game 2 Notes:

• H. Cybart put together a three hit game with a pair of RBIs.
• Also have a multi-hit and RBI game was Page who tallied a pair of each to go along with a run.
• Peterson was patient in the box as she was walked three times.
• Through seven innings of work, Anna Frerichs was given the win as she gave up just four hits and one run while striking out three.

 
The Highlanders being conference play this Friday, April 2 when they take the short trip down to Alfred College for a mid-day doubleheader. Action is slated to start at 2 p.m.