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Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. – In their final day of Florida action, the Plattsburgh State softball team was unable to find its way back to the win column as the Cardinals dropped decisions to Amherst College and RIT.
GAME ONE – Amherst College 10, Plattsburgh State 6
The Lord Jeffs put a four-spot on the board in the first inning while Kristin Fisher was in the circle for Plattsburgh State. A trio of RBI singles as well as an RBI double by Carolyn Miller helped the Lord Jeffs build their early 4-0 lead.
Plattsburgh State got one back in the home half of the leadoff frame when a double by Brianna Clarke scored Brittany Marshall.
Taking over in the circle from the second inning on was Morgan Anderson who allowed two more runs by the Lord Jeffs. The first came by way of a bases loaded hit by pitch in the third while the second was the result of an Alena Marovitz triple in the top of the fifth inning.
Kerry McCarty sliced into the Cardinals' 6-1 deficit in the home portion of the sixth. An RBI single by the sophomore plated Shelby Heyward.
Amherst tacked on four more runs in the seventh when Kelsey Ayers and Donna Leet each came up with two-run singles.
A comeback bid was in store for the Cardinals in the home half of the seventh. Marshall drove in a run with single before Heyward brought in another two with a two-run double. Kristine Gay plated Heyward with a sacrifice fly, but a groundout squashed the Cardinals' chances of a come-from-behind victory.
Fisher (0-3) took the loss for the Cardinals while Arielle Doering picked up the win for the Lord Jeffs by working six innings.
GAME TWO – RIT 7, Plattsburgh State 6
Trailing 4-1 entering the top portion of the seventh frame, the Cardinals staged a great comeback to take a 6-4 lead only to see it evaporate with three runs by the Tigers in the bottom half of the final inning.
Much as she did in the Cardinals' first tilt on Friday, Sam Capobianco staked her team to an early 1-0 lead when her RBI single in the leadoff frame plated Brittany Marshall.
RIT, though, produced runs in each of the first three innings. The first pair came during the first set of at bats for the Tigers when Sarah Wolcott sent a two-run double to right center field.
Cardinals' starter Sam Moss was hit with her third run of the day in the second before giving up another RBI double in the third.
After mustering just one run through the first six frames, the Cardinals finally solved RIT starter Emma Sarles in the last inning. An error, another single by Capobianco and a base on balls to Kerry McCarty loaded the bases for Samantha Tenney who made it a two-run game with a sacrifice fly.
Another walk issued by Sarles loaded the bags up once again, allowing Kayla Rabideau to lace an RBI single up the middle of the Tigers' infield. An error by RIT's center fielder allowed both McCarty and pinch runner Courtney Hilligas to come around and knot matters at four.
A wild pitch by RIT reliever Sierra Valentine and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Brianna Clarke made the scores 6-4 with the Tigers coming up to bat for the final time.
Moss began the frame with a punchout before an RIT double followed by an RBI single trimmed the Cardinals' edge to 6-5. Wolcott struck for another RBI single to knot things before Kaylee Mathews completed the Tigers' comeback bid with a walk-off infield single.
Plattsburgh State stranded 13 runners on the base paths in the narrow loss, which belonged to Moss (2-5). Capobianco struck for three of the nine Plattsburgh State hits while Rabudeau added two of her own. Each of them recorded an RBI and drew a walk.
Valentine (1-1) earned the win for the Tigers, working 2/3 of an inning. Wolcott (3-for-4) had three of the seven RBI for RIT.
With their 2014 Florida scheduled in the history books, the Cardinals will head back north to begin State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play. On Friday, the Cardinals will begin their conference schedule with a trip to SUNY Cortland to take on the Red Dragons. First pitch of the league doubleheader is scheduled for 3 p.m.
