HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Houghton softball struggled to find their footing Thursday afternoon, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to SUNY Geneseo at the Houghton Softball Field. Despite flashes of offensive production in the nightcap, the Highlanders fell 10-0 in the opener and 14-3 in the finale.
Game One: Geneseo 10, Houghton 0 (5 innings)
Houghton was held to just two hits in the first contest as Geneseo pitcher Gabriella Petroski kept the Highlander bats quiet through five innings.
Rebecca Oates provided the highlights for the Highlanders, finishing the game 1-for-2 with a single to third base in the second inning. Oates added another base hit in the fifth, a sharp single to right-center, to account for both of Houghton's hits in the contest.
Danielle Nelson reached base in the second inning on a fielder's choice, and Kareena Ulfig reached on an error to lead off the same frame, but the Highlanders were unable to capitalize, leaving three runners on base during the shutout. Abigail Pitts went the distance in the circle, striking out one in five innings of work.
Game Two: Geneseo 14, Houghton 3
The Highlanders' offense showed more life in the second game, tallying nine hits, but eight defensive errors proved too much to overcome against a potent Geneseo lineup.
Houghton's best offensive stretch came in the fourth inning. Adelynn Killian ignited the rally with a one-out double to left-center. Two batters later, Maggie Zastrow drove her in with an RBI double to right field. Rebecca Oates immediately followed with an RBI single to right-center, scoring Zastrow to cut the deficit to 4-2 at the time.
The Highlanders added a third run in the sixth inning when Hannah Fish laced an RBI single to third base, scoring Killian, who had reached earlier on a walk.
Key Highlander Statistics (Game 2):
