HAMILTON — Jillian Herbst drilled a two-out walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to beat Holy Cross 3-2 and complete the three-game sweep Sunday afternoon at Eaton Street Softball Complex.
Colgate has now won five straight games heading into the final week of the regular season. The Raiders improved to 18-28 overall and 6-9 in Patriot League play, and they hold a one-game lead over Bucknell for the fourth-place spot in the Patriot League standings with three games left at Army next weekend.
COACH LAMISON-MYERS' COMMENTS
"Winning this weekend was huge for our confidence. This group could have let the weather, cold temperatures, and delays affect their performance but they were resilient and stood strong. Again with quality pitching keeping us in the game allowing our hitters to work walks and get a few timely hits as a coach that's all I can ask for. I'm happy for our seniors in their last home league series and so proud of the softball players and more importantly people they have grown into."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Herbst fought off multiple two-strike pitches before delivering the walk-off single on a fly ball that carried to the fence in left center field and scored Mia Edwards from third as the winning run.
- Edwards pinch-ran for Alexis Romero, who worked a walk – one of Colgate's six walks of the game – and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Amanda DeSantis.
- The walk-off hit capped off a sparkling week for Herbst, who batted .471 (8-for-17) with seven runs scored and seven RBIs during Colgate's current five-game winning streak.
- Colgate only had three hits in the game, but they all came at opportune times. After two-plus scoreless innings, a walk, hit-by-pitch, and an error loaded the bases for Quinn Livesay, who stroked a line drive two-run single up the middle to put the Raiders on top 2-0.
- Maya Servedio was pitching on cruise control until the top of the sixth when Holy Cross plated two runs. Mikala Ham, who improved to 3-0 on the week with the win, stranded two runners in scoring position to keep the game tied at 2-2 and set up Herbst's late-inning heroics.
UP NEXT
Colgate completes its seven-game homestand with a doubleheader against Binghamton on Tuesday. First pitch from Eaton Street Softball Complex is set for 2 p.m.
