The Finger Lakes Community College softball team made history Tuesday afternoon with a resounding sweep of Region III powerhouse Herkimer College, erupting for 35 runs across two games to earn what is believed to be their first-ever victories over the Generals in modern program history.
With wins of 21-13 and 14-4 at home, the Lakers improved to 6-8 on the season, capping a three-game homestand in emphatic fashion.
In game one, the Lakers responded to an early Herkimer run with a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the first. Key hits included a three-run single from Ella Upchurch (Palmyra, N.Y./Palmyra-Macedon), an RBI double from Lauren Pilon (Kendall, N.Y./Kendall), and an RBI single by Anna Kurtzhalts (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island). After Herkimer tied the game at 7-7 in the second, Finger Lakes surged back ahead with RBI singles from Cameron Crawford (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne) and Jenna Tyczynski (Westmoreland, N.Y./Westmoreland).
A seven-run fourth inning, fueled by triples from Jackie Neureuter (Pembroke, N.Y./Pembroke) and Gia Bills (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima), put the game out of reach. Upchurch and Tyczynski each drove in four runs—tied for third-most in a single game in program history—as the Lakers closed out a 21-13 win, their highest scoring total since 2023.
The momentum carried into game two. After a 3-3 tie through three innings, the Lakers exploded for 11 runs in the fourth. Brazen Beckwith (Wellsville, N.Y./Wellsville) ignited the rally with an RBI single and later finished with 3 RBIs. Neureuter and Upchurch added key hits to push the score to 14-3.
Madison Anderson (Ashville, N.Y./Chautauqua Lake) earned her sixth win of the season, tossing a complete game with six strikeouts to close out the sweep.
Finger Lakes now heads on a three-game road trip with matchups against SUNY Niagara, Hudson Valley, and Corning. The Lakers return to action Thursday, April 17, at SUNY Niagara in Sanborn, N.Y., with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.
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