BUFFALO, N.Y. – By scored of 5-1 and 9-7, the Plattsburgh State softball team swept host and State University of New York Athletic Conference foe Buffalo State. It was the first sweep of the season for the Cardinals, who improve their record to 13-8 overall, 2-1 in the SUNYAC. Buffalo State falls to 10-10 for the season, 3-3 in the conference.
Ashley Marshall earned both wins for Plattsburgh and now boasts a record of 9-2. Marshall only gave up six hits, one earned run and struck out nine in 10.2 innings of work.
Game one remained scoreless until Nicole Diemer hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the top of the fifth to allow Dana Mandery to score for the Cardinals. Ashley Napear then opened up the sixth with a solo shot over the left field fence. Plattsburgh would go on to plate three more runs in the seventh and Buffalo State ended the game with a one-run rally attempt in the bottom of the inning.
In game two, Plattsburgh was once again the first to score, but it came early in the second inning this time. Diana Garces singled up the middle, allowing Erin Florkiewicz to score from third. Amy Woo smashed a solo shot over the center field fence in the third to place the Cardinals ahead, 2-0. The team would score three more times in the fourth, while the Bengals finally answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning.
The game got a away from the Cards a little in the fifth when Buffalo State plated six runs, all earned, for its first lead of the day. Plattsburgh rebounded, however, posting four runs on the board in the top of the seventh and managed to hold off the Bengals in the bottom of the inning for the win.
Heather Loughran relieved Marshall in the beginning of the second inning and allowed four earned runs. Tanya Fedyshyn took over for a third of the fifth inning and gave up three earned runs, but only one hit. Marshall came back in to finish the inning and eventually the game for the Cardinals.
Dana Mandery led the day for Plattsburgh, going 3-for-7 at the plate with a double, two runs batted in and two runs. Napear went 2-for-5 with two runs, one RBI, a double and a home run. Woo racked up three RBIs and three hits, along with two runs, a double and a homer.
Plattsburgh continues its road trip to western New York tomorrow when it travels to Fredonia to take on the Blue Devils in a SUNYAC doubleheader set to begin at 1 p.m.
