HAMILTON, N.Y. – The Holy Cross softball team split its Patriot League opening doubleheader at Colgate Saturday afternoon. The Crusaders earned the victory in extra innings of game one, 2-0, but fell after six innings in game two, 9-0.

Kelly Nelson pitched the full eight innings of game one, earning the win after striking out 15 and shutting out the Raiders on just six hits. She got the start again in game two, going the first four innings and giving up two runs on five hits and one walk, striking out five. In total, the junior threw 12 innings on the day, striking out 20.

At the plate, Bella Jankowski was 3-for-7. Jessie Nagel had two hits, one being a home run, scored a run and drove in two more. Bailey Chavez had a pair of singles and scored a run. Kari Jacobson was 2-for-4 with both singles coming in game two. Jess Mott walked three times on the day, Erin Bengston did so twice.

GAME 1: HC 2, GATE 0
The Crusaders left three runners on through the first two innings, each time with the lead runner on third. On the other side of the ball, Nelson recorded eight of the first nine outs by strikeout.

Holy Cross left another runner on in the fourth and sixth innings, but the game would remain scoreless.

The Raiders would double to start the bottom of the seventh and after a single, had runners on first and third with no outs. Nelson was able to get out of it with a pop up to short, a strikeout, and a ground out to second.

Chavez led the eighth inning off with a single and two batters later, Nagel hit her first home run of the season to give the Crusaders the 2-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Nelson got two strikeouts and a fly out to center to end it.

GAME 2: GATE 9, HC 0
The roles were reversed in game two, this time with the Raiders picking up the shutout victory. Nelson again got the start in the circle and was solid through her four innings of work.

Colgate got on the board in the first with a double following a leadoff walk, but that's all they would get in the frame. A pair of singles put two on for Holy Cross in the third, but the inning would end with a groundout.

A leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the fourth made it 2-0, but again the Raiders would only plate one. They would double their lead in the fifth with another home run, this time with a runner on.

In the sixth, after a walk by Bengston and a single by Jankowski, Holy Cross had two on with just one out. Colgate was able to work out of it without letting a run across with two straight groundouts.

The bottom of the sixth is where the game would end as Colgate, all with two outs, would score five more runs, thanks in large part to a grand slam to end the game.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Nelson's 20 strikeouts today gave her 50 on the year and 300 in her career. She is just the third Crusader to hit 300 Ks in program history and is only three strikeouts away from moving into second place all-time.
• After their walks today, Bengston and Mott moved into a tie with Jankowski for the team lead of four free bases on the year.

ON DECK:
Holy Cross will play its first games at Freshman Field this season on Wednesday when it hosts Maine for a doubleheader beginning at 3:15 p.m.