(Photo Credit: Bill Croney/Northfield News)

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University softball team played its first true home games of 2015 on Wednesday afternoon on the turf at Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.

The Cadets (4-12, 2-6 GNAC) split a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) games vs. Emmanuel College; dropping the opener 7-3 and then coming back to take the nightcap 6-1.

Norwich left 12 runners on base in the first game, squandering its chances of rallying from an early 4-0 deficit. Emmanuel (12-8, 7-3 GNAC) scored two runs in each of its first two trips to the plate to take a lead that the Cadets were never able to come back from.

Junior shortstop Catherine Davis went 4-for-4 at the plate in Game 1 for Emmanuel, scoring four runs and driving two more in to lead the Saints' offensive efforts. Third baseman Abbey Alexiades went 3-for-4 with three RBIs as well for Emmanuel.

Sophomore pitcher Jill Kilcoyne had a unique game on the mound, striking out 14 batters, but also walking eight. She improved to 8-1 with the victory.

Junior Payton Warner (Harwich, Mass.) had two RBIs, while junior Angie Hershberger (Felton, Calif.) laced a solo home run out of the complex and into the trees beyond left center field.

Junior Taylor Morris (Haverhill, N.H.) took the loss on the mound for the Cadets, giving up 12 hits and six earned runs.

In Game 2, senior pitcher Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.) had one of her best outings of the season to lead the Cadets to the victory and snap their five-game losing streak. NU's ace went all seven innings, giving up just four hits and one unearned run while striking out six and walking none to pick up her second victory of the season.

Baita also helped herself at the plate, driving an inside the park home run deep to right that dropped behind the Emmanuel outfielder and rolled all the way to the way to the football end zone.

Morris went 4-for-4 in Game 2 with a RBI, while senior shortstop Melissa Rome (Enfield, Conn.) had three RBIs to lead the Cadets' offense.  

Norwich returns to action on Friday when it travels to Johnson & Wales. NU will also face Mount Ida on Saturday and then Rivier on Sunday. All three are GNAC doubleheaders.

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