NAPLES, Fla. – The Curry College softball team dropped a pair of decisions to Nazareth College and Rockford University earlier today at North Collier Regional Park in Naples, Fla. Despite some early offense in both games, Curry was unable to secure a victory on day four of their spring break trip to the Gene Cusic Classic.

Game One: Nazareth 3, Curry 2

Each team scored in the first, as Janelle Walters (North Syracuse, N.Y.) of Nazareth and Liana Duarte (Taunton, Mass.) of Curry scored the game's first two runs. After a scoreless second inning, the Golden Flyers retook the lead in the third as Katherine Ruoff (Vestal, N.Y.) earned her second RBI of the day. In the top of the fifth, Ruoff struck again, singling into left to push Walters across the plate for the third time, which gave Nazareth a two-run edge. With just three outs left to work with, the Colonels made some noise in the bottom of the seventh, as Taylor Newcomb (Millville, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch to make it a one-run game, before Jocelyn Dimond (Weare, N.H.) drew a walk to put the potential tying run on base. However, a two-out pop-up would end the threat, securing the 3-2 victory in favor of the Golden Flyers.

Ruoff led the charge in the win with a 3-for-3 day at the dish with a walk, collecting all three RBI. Walters went 2-for-4 while crossing the plate three times. Kiana Lloyd (Worcester, Mass.) turned in the only multi-hit game for Curry, going 2-for-2. Maddie Funk (Locke, N.Y., 1-1) earned her first win of the year, giving up just one unearned run and striking out four over six innings of work. Kylie Smith (Buffalo, N.Y.) collects her first save of the 2020 campaign, retiring the only batter she faced. Despite tossing a complete game, Carrigan Costello (Wolcott, Conn., 1-3) was saddled with the loss, surrendering three runs on seven hits and striking out three over her seven innings on the mound.

Nazareth improved to 1-6 on the year, before dropping their second game of the day 8-4 to Alfred State to move to 1-7. The Golden Flyers will return to the field tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. to face Crown (Minn.) on field #1 at the CenturyLink Sports Complex. Later in the morning, Oneonta will find the Golden Flyer on field #1 at 11 a.m. The morning loss put the Colonels' record at 2-5 heading into game two.

Game Two: Rockford 10, Curry 2

Once again, both offenses struck early, as the score after one stood at 3-1, Regents. The pitchers took over through the next pair of innings, combining to allow just two hits, but Rockford resumed their attack in the top of the fourth. With two outs and runners on first and second, the Regents scored four runs on three consecutive hits, pushing the score to 7-1. An inning and a half later, the Colonels began to cut into the lead, as an RBI single off the bat of Jordan Perzan (Burlington, Conn.) made the score 7-2, but a sixth-inning home run by Annaka Bartz (Rockton, Ill.), her second of the game, kept the Regents in front by a seven-run margin. After tacking on one more run in the seventh, Rockford locked up the 10-2 win by shutting down Curry in the bottom half of the inning.

Bartz was on a roll in the contest, going 3-for-4 with two homers, three runs scored, and four RBI. Karly Estremera (Stoughton, Mass.) pitched in a multi-hit game for the Colonels, going 2-for-3 and scoring a run, while Perzan earned the team's lone RBI. Rylee Klema (Mendota, Ill., 4-2) earns the win with a complete game performance which saw nine strikeouts, while Newcomb (1-3) lands in the loss column, surrendering five earned on 11 hits over seven innings of work.

With their fourth consecutive win, Rockford's record improves to 6-2 on the year while the Colonels go to 2-6 overall after a 0-2 day. Curry will wrap up their spring break trip tomorrow, returning to the diamond for another double-header. The Colonels head back to the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla. to face off against Brockport at 9:00 a.m. on field #2 and will stay at CenturyLink to take on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) at 11:00 a.m. Unfortunately, following the game, the Regents' season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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