PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State softball team (18-7, 9-3 SUNYAC) dropped the first game of a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) double header against visiting Brockport (19-9, 4-6 SUNYAC) 2-0, before using a sixth inning rally to pick up a 5-4 win the second game to take a split on the series.
Game One:
Boxscore
The Cardinals found it hard to figure out Golden Eagle pitcher Erin Fleming in the opening game. Fleming gave up only three hits in seven innings.
All of the scoring was done in the fifth inning when Brianna Ferchen hit a deep double into left center with two runners on base. Erica Lazarro and Jenna Yates scored on the play. The 2-0 lead was enough for the Golden Eagles as the Cardinals would only register one hit after the fourth inning.
Heather Loughran suffered the loss for the Cardinals despite only giving up five hits.
Game Two:
Boxscore
The Cardinals offense caught fire in the final game of the day and they ran out into a 4-1 lead early in the game.
Brittany Marshall got things going for Plattsburgh by hitting a single and then advancing to second base after a Brockport error. Marshall then stole third and came home after another Golden Eagle error to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead after the first.
The Cardinals added two more runs in the second inning after Erin Florkiewicz hit a one-run homer out of the park and then Megan Price hit a triple into right field. Brittany Marshall hit a single to bring Price in and make it a 3-0 game.
The Golden Eagles started to chip away at the Cardinal lead in the third inning when Melissa Martin scored on a wild pitch, but the Cardinals tacked one more run on in the bottom of the third when Samantha Capobianco slammed a home run out to left field to keep the lead at three.
Brockport mounted their come back in the fourth inning as they scored three runs with two outs to tie the game at 4-4. With the bases loaded, a fielding error allowed Yates and Liz Hochman to score, before Caitlyn Rana struck an RBI single to bring Ferchen home.
In the sixth inning, Ashley Marshall reached second base on a fielding error and then Dana Mandery sent an RBI single into center field to bring home the winning run.
With two runners on base, Ashley Marshall struck out two Golden Eagle players in the seventh inning to seal the victory.
Marshall pitched all seven innings for the Cardinals victory, giving up six hits and recording seven strikeouts. Jean Farrell took the loss for the Golden Eagles after giving up five runs, four of them earned.
The Cardinals return to action on Wednesday April 18, when the travel to Skidmore for a non-conference double header.
