FILLMORE, N.Y. (April 26, 2019) – SUNY Delhi softball opened its regular-season-ending, three-day weekend road trip Friday with a doubleheader meeting at Houghton. The Broncos worked behind seven strong from pitcher Haylee Lefebvre to pull out a 3-1 victory in the opener, then the host Highlanders swiftly grabbed game two with a 16-2 five-inning win. Head coach Meagan Hillard's team moved to 11-13 on the season. The Broncos continue on their travels Saturday and Sunday for a two-day, four-game series at Alfred State. Saturday's games begin at 1:00 p.m., with Sunday's starting at 11:00 a.m.
SUNY Delhi recently locked up the four seed for next weekend's ACAA Tournament, set for Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5 at Alfred State. Delhi will play top-seed Thomas More in the semifinals Saturday at 10:00 a.m. The four-team tournament will follow a double-elimination format, with four games scheduled for Saturday and as many as three contests on Sunday.
DELHI 3, HOUGHTON 1
With runs coming sparingly, the Broncos got the first chance with two runs in the top of the third, with the first coming on an error and the other on a wild pitch. Though Houghton would get one back with a solo home run in the bottom half, pitcher Haylee Lefebvre remained on track, posting three strikeouts and allowing ten hits through seven innings of work and shutting out the Highlanders the rest of the way. Yesileidy Paulino provided Delhi some insurance in the top of the fifth on an RBI single that brought in Sierra Keesler. The Highlanders posted a bases-loaded threat with two outs in the seventh, only to have the final out called on baserunner's interference that would have otherwise been at least a one-RBI single to keep the game alive.
In a game where Delhi gathered just eight hits, Paulino and Shelby Nolan combined for five of them. Nolan batted 3-for-4 with one double, while Paulino went 2-for-4 with the team's lone RBI of the game.
HOUGHTON 16, DELHI 2
The Highlanders avenged the opening-game defeat by way of a four-run first, five-run second, three-run third and four-run fourth. Delhi's only retort was a two-run third, courtesy of one RBI each from Shelby Nolan and Sierra Keesler, that only briefly cut Houghton's lead to 9-2.
Pitcher Molly Greene lasted just one-plus innings, allowing six earned runs on three hits, before handing the ball back over to Haylee Lefebvre. Lefebvre pitched the remainder, giving up ten earned runs on 14 hits with one strikeout. The Broncos were held to only three hits, with Rachael Scoones batting 2-for-2 and Samantha Mendelsohn going 1-for-2. Each came around to score for Delhi in the third inning.