FREDONIA, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State softball team heads back to Plattsburgh with a perfect 4-0 record for the weekend. Just a day after sweeping the Buffalo State Bengals, the Cardinals defeated Fredonia twice on the Blue Devils' home field, 2-0 and 9-7. Plattsburgh is now 15-8 for the season and moves up to 4-1 in the State University of New York Athletic Conference.
Ashley Marshall pitched a complete game and earned the shutout for the Cardinals in game one against Fredonia. Marshall only gave up four hits and struck out six of the 25 batters she faced.
Plattsburgh plated its first run in the top of the fourth inning when Erin Florkiewicz hit a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Nicole McKee to score from third base. McKee was pinch running for Ashley Napear who singled to lead off the inning. Katie McNally hit an RBI single in the sixth to send Dana Mandery home for the Cardinals second and final run of the game. Mandery doubled to get on base.
In game two, Fredonia scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead. Plattsburgh countered quickly with four earned runs of its own in the top of the second. Fredonia would score one more in the second to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Cardinals.
Plattsburgh opened up its lead even further with a second four-run inning in the fourth, which included a two-RBI single by Danielle Gjergji that scoredNicole Diemer and Diana Garces. The Blue Devils would attempt a rally, plating three runs in the fifth and another in the bottom of the seventh, but Plattsburgh would hold strong for the win.
McNally topped the game off with a final run for the Cards in the seventh. McNally doubled to get on base and then scored with Fredonia's shortstop made an error that allowed Gjergji to get on base and McNally to round the horn.
Heather Loughran pitched five innings for the Cardinals and picked up the win. Loughran gave up seven hits, six earned runs, walked one and sat down one batter during her time in the circle. Marshall earned the save after closing out the final two innings. She struck out two, allowed one earned run and gave up two hits.
Diemer went a perfect 3-for-3 during the second game as the lead-off batter for Plattsburgh. She was walked twice.
For the day, Amy Woo and Gjergji matched Diemer with three hits apiece. Woo's total included a double and Gjergji smashed a triple. Defensively, Napear made a team-high 14 putouts at first.
Next up, Plattsburgh takes on SUNYAC foe New Paltz in its home opener at Cardinal Park on Friday, April 16. The doubleheader is set to start at 3 p.m.
