KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Plattsburgh State softball team lost a pair of contests at the Rebel Spring Games on Sunday afternoon at the Osceola County Softball Complex, falling by an 8-0 final to Skidmore College in six innings before dropping a 3-2 decision to William Paterson University.
 
Plattsburgh State drops to 2-4 overall with the losses and wraps up the Rebel Spring Games portion of its Florida trip tomorrow when it takes on Mount Saint Mary College (9 a.m.) and Franklin & Marshall College (1:30 p.m.). Skidmore rises to 1-2 with the win, while William Paterson climbs to 3-1 with the victory.
 
Game 1: Skidmore 8, Plattsburgh State 0 (6 inn.)
 
Skidmore drew nine walks in the Cardinals' first contest of the day, which wound up being the difference in a shutout win for the Thoroughbreds. Skidmore scored four runs in the third, two in the fourth and two in the sixth to emerge with the victory.
 
Junior center fielder Dominique Zummo (Commack, N.Y./St. Anthony's) led Plattsburgh State with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate, while junior third baseman Kristina Foley went 1-for-1 with three RBI, three walks, one run scored and a double to pace the Skidmore attack.
 
The Cardinals used three pitchers in the loss, while the Thoroughbreds' freshman pitcher Emily Popp pitched a complete-game shutout in her first collegiate appearance in the circle, scattering four hits and striking out three.
 
Game 2: William Paterson 3, Plattsburgh State 2
 
William Paterson rallied from two runs down in the top of the seventh, plating three runs in the inning to come away with the victory.
 
The Pioneers opened up the seventh with a single and a walk, and an RBI single by senior first baseman Salina Pellios made it a 2-1 game in favor of the Cardinals. Sophomore pinch hitter/left fielder Christine Griffith then tied the game with an RBI single, but junior right fielder Amanda Tantillo (Florida, N.Y./S.S. Seward) prevented the go-ahead run from coming across with a throw to the plate that beat the runner. William Paterson did push across the go-ahead run during its next at-bat, however, as junior shortstop Kaitlyn Poretti laid down a squeeze bunt, and the runner on third scored on the play. The Pioneers retired the Cardinals in the bottom of the inning to preserve the win.
 
Plattsburgh State opened scoring in the bottom of the first, as sophomore catcher Jennifer Groat (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) drove in a run with an RBI fielder's choice, and junior third baseman Jackie Decker (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) added to the Cardinals' total with a one-out sacrifice fly. Neither team scored until William Paterson came up with timely at-bats in the seventh.
 
Five different Plattsburgh State student-athletes recorded a hit, while senior right fielder Nicole Fryer went 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead William Paterson.
 
Junior pitcher Katie Pitkin (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) shouldered the loss for the Cardinals, yielding three runs on six hits and six walks while striking out two, while senior pitcher Gabrielle Castelli earned the win for William Paterson, allowing just two unearned runs on five hits and two hit by pitches.