CLERMONT, Fla. – The Plattsburgh State softball team hit pay dirt at the plate on Thursday afternoon, pounding out 15 hits in an 11-0 win over Lesley as part of a 1-1 split at the NTC Spring Games.
After picking up their third win of the season, the Cardinals fell 8-4 to Macalaster to bring their 2015 mark to 3-7.
GAME ONE: Plattsburgh State 11 (3-6), Lesley (2-6) (5 inn.)Plattsburgh State's bats stayed hot through all five innings as the Cardinals amassed some 15 hits en route to their largest triumph of 2015 so far.
Four of the Cardinals' base knocks occurred in the first frame and
Lauren Graves and
Amanda Tantillo provided the two most important ones as each of them drove in a run with a single.
Jacqueline Decker increased Plattsburgh State's advantage to 4-0 in the second when she punched a two-run single to right field.
While the Cardinals were busy building up their lead,
Morgan Anderson (2-1) was keeping the Lynx largely quiet at the dish. The junior out of Johnsonville, N.Y., pitched all five innings and surrendered just four hits while fanning four via the strikeout.
Plattsburgh State's edge increased to 7-0 in the third when
Dominique Zummo slapped an RBI single and
Kelsey Gage added two more RBIs on one of three errors by the Lynx.
The biggest inning for the Cardinals came in the fifth when Decker added two RBIs on a single. Graves picked up two more RBIs, bringing her total to a game-high three, with a double.
Zummo picked up a game-high three hits while Mekenzi Golden picked up three of the four Lesley hits. Gage scored three of the Cardinals' 11 runs. Five Cardinals amassed two or more hits and that list included Decker, Graves, Zummo,
Nicole Cast and
Brittany Marshall.
GAME TWO: Macalaster College 8 (7-4), Plattsburgh State 4 (3-7)For the second straight tilt, Plattsburgh State was able to pick up an early lead, but this time the Cardinals were unable to hold on to it as Macalaster tacked on six runs in the third.
Marshall scored the first Plattsburgh State run of the game on one of four Macalaster miscues. The Malone, N.Y., product advanced to third on a flyout by Gage and scampered home after a throwing error by Macalaster's right fielder.
Kristin Fisher sailed effortlessly through her first two innings of the game, sitting down the first six batters she faced and amassing a trio of strikeouts.
The senior out of Plattsburgh, N.Y., ran into a whole lot of trouble in the top of the third, though, as Macalaster strung together four hits. Two Plattsburgh State errors also extended the frame.
Abby Cox delivered the biggest blow to the Cardinals' hopes when she smacked a grand slam after an RBI single by Saraswati Wilson which made matters 5-1. The last run by the Scots came by way of an RBI double by Nikki Caicedo.
Miranda Stokes drilled a solo shot for the Scots in the top of the fourth, extending the lead to 7-1 before the Cardinals were able to gain some ground.
Taylor Smith smacked a two-out double in the bottom of the fourth while Marshall and Decker added RBI singles in the fifth to make the score 7-4.
Cox added her fifth RBI of the afternoon in the sixth, pushing the Scots' lead to 8-4, but the Cardinals definitely had their chances down the stretch. In the sixth inning, Plattsburgh State sent seven batters to the plate but left the bases loaded.
The Cardinals collected just six hits while the Scots registered 10. Fisher fell to 0-3 with the loss, working three innings in which she gave up six runs. Just three of those scores were earned.
Logan Tootle pitched a complete game for the Scots, striking out one while walking five.
The diamond beckons to the Cardinals once again on Friday when they take on the University of Wisconsin-Stout at 11 a.m. before matching up against Bethel University at 1 p.m.
