HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Houghton softball moved another step closer to its first-ever postseason appearance thanks to two wins over E8 foe Keuka College on Saturday.

The Highlanders won 13-4 and 4-3 to move into a fourth-place tie with Nazareth in the E8 regular season standings. The top four teams in the conference qualify for the postseason tournament. Houghton is now 6-6 in conference play, marking the most conference wins since the program began official E8 competition in 2015.

Game 1
The Highlanders opened the scoring with a run in the first inning before the visiting Wolves jumped ahead with three runs in the top of the second. But the Highlanders broke the contest open in the bottom of the second, scoring 10 runs on nine hits. Houghton scored twice more in the third, and the Wolves added the final run of the game in the fourth.

Grace Thompson was a perfect 3 for 3 at the plate and drove in four runs. Carlee Miller drove in three runs on one hit and Kristin Keller finished 2 for 3 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Kayla Loomis picked up her 11^th win of the season, allowing four runs on five hits over five innings.

Game 2
The nightcap proved to be much more of a challenge for the Highlanders. The teams each put two runs across the plate in the first inning. Elise Swanson singled home both runs for the Highlanders. The next three innings remained scoreless, with neither team threatening to break the stalemate. But the Wolves were finally able to pull head in the top of the fifth as a single and double put the visitors up 3-2.

Houghton couldn't find the equalizer in the bottom of the fifth, but Swanson opened the sixth with a double to put the Highlanders in scoring position. After two outs – and with Bethany Tubman pinch running for Swanson – Hannah Chorey got a clutch RBI single to bring home Tubman and tie the score at 3 apiece.

Jen Burrows retired three of the four batters she faced in the top of the seventh to preserve the tie and give the Highlanders a chance to find the winning run. And the hosts came through in dramatic fashion. Grace Thompson led off with a walk and advanced to third on a groundout. Carlee Miller earned a walk and stole second before Swanson got another free pass to load the bases with just one out.

With the Keuka outfielders playing shallow, Kristin Keller lined a single over the head of the leftfielder to score Thompson and give the Highlanders the one-run win.

Swanson and Chorey led the Highlanders with two hits each. Swanson (2), Keller and Chorey each had RBIs.

Burrows went seven innings on the mound, allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out six.

Houghton (18-15; 6-6 E8) closes out the regular season with a two-game series at Elmira on Wednesday, April 27.