CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State softball team resumed play on Saturday morning in what was a game postponed due to rain on Friday. The end result was not what the Cardinals were looking for, dropping a 6-3 decision to the Buffalo State Bengals in the SUNYAC Tournament.
 
The Cardinals struck early in the contest. Scoring in the bottom of the first when Kelsey Gage walked with the bases loaded.
 
It was the top of the second inning on Friday where Mother Nature made her presence felt at the tournament. A downpour of rain caused a delay for nearly an hour before a decision was made to postpone the game to Saturday morning.
 
Plattsburgh struggled at the plate Saturday, unable to convert on opportunities with runners on base.
 
The Bengals, trailing by one run from the previous day, were able to tie the game in the third inning on a Lexi Haley single up the middle.
 
Cardinal Pitcher Morgan Anderson and Bengals pitcher Haley, were both sound in the fourth and fifth innings, allowing no runs and keeping the game even into the finals innings.
 
The sixth inning proved to be too much for Plattsburgh State. The Bengals tallied four hits in the inning, highlighted by Chrissy Rennard's single to left that scored two runs. Overall Buffalo State would push across four runs in the inning to take a 5-1 lead.
 
The Cardinals would get one back in the bottom of the frame when Samantha Railey singled to right center field, scoring Nicole Cast.
 
Buffalo State's Danielle Szymkowiak answered that Cardinal run herself in the top of the seventh on a solo shot to left field.
 
Trailing 6-2 now, Plattsburgh made a threat to potentially score multiple runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Cardinals loaded the bases with the tying run at bat in the form of Kelsey Gage.
 
Gage reached on a fielder's choice as Buffalo State elected to throw home for the automatic out, and then tried to get Gage on her way to first.
 
The throw was not in time and in the process Dominique Zummo rounded third and darted home to score for Plattsburgh.
 
It was the only run the Cardinals would manage to get in the seventh, and Plattsburgh would fall to Buffalo State 6-3 for its second loss of the SUNYAC Tournament, effectively eliminating them from the postseason.
 
Lexi Haley earned the win on the mound for Buffalo State, throwing all seven innings and striking out five. Morgan Anderson went five and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts in the loss.
 
The Cardinals end their bid for a SUNYAC title at 26-17, while the Bengals sit one game above .500 at 20-19.