KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Plattsburgh State softball team lost twice at the Sunkissed Games on Thursday, falling to William Paterson University, 10-3, before dropping a 6-5 decision to Wisconsin Lutheran College in the nightcap.
 
Plattsburgh State drops to 3-7 overall with the losses and faces Rowan University (9 a.m.) and Beloit College (11:15 a.m.) tomorrow. William Paterson rises to 8-5 overall with the win, while Wisconsin Lutheran climbs to 5-2 overall with the victory.
 
William Paterson 10, Plattsburgh State 3
 
William Paterson pounded out 12 hits to prevail, 10-3, in the Cardinals' first game of the day.
 
The Pioneers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by freshman shortstop Sydney Pace, while William Paterson added three runs in the second. An error allowed the first run to cross before sophomore right fielder Ryan Tighe and junior third baseman Christine Griffith drew a bases-loaded walk and a bases-loaded hit by pitch, respectively, to give the Pioneers a 4-0 edge.
 
William Paterson struck for three more runs in the fifth, as Pace drove in two runs on a single before senior second baseman Adelle Hickman pushed the score to 7-0 with a sacrifice fly.
 
Senior designated player/pitcher Taylor Smith (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) put the Cardinals on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, while William Paterson extended its lead to 10-1 with three-run double in the top of the seventh. Plattsburgh State received a sacrifice fly from senior left fielder Dominique Zummo (Commack, N.Y./St. Anthony's) and scored a run on an error in the home half of the seventh to spell the final score of 10-3.
 
Junior first baseman Jennifer Groat (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) continued her torrid start to the season by batting 3-for-3 with one run scored and a double. Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Preiss (Cornwall, N.Y./Cornwall) also had a multi-hit game for the Cardinals, hitting 2-for-4 with one run scored.
 
For William Paterson, Pace, freshman designated player Caitlyn Massaro and Hickman all had multiple hits.
 
Senior pitcher Katie Pitkin (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) took the loss in the circle for the Cardinals, yielding seven runs (two earned) on six hits, four walks and a hit by pitch in four innings of work. Smith threw three innings of relief. Freshman pitcher Sarah Byrnes earned the win for the Pioneers, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits, a walk and a hit by pitch while striking out three.
 
Wisconsin Lutheran 6, Plattsburgh State 5
 
Despite making it a one-run contest in the top of the seventh and placing the potential winning run on first with one out, Plattsburgh State was unable to extend the game in a 6-5 loss to Wisconsin Lutheran.
 
The two teams traded runs in the first inning, with Zummo pushing across a run on an infield single and senior first baseman Taylor Bjork tying the game for the Warriors in the home half of the inning with a single that ultimately brought home a run.
 
Freshman third baseman Bella Spadinger (Loudonville, N.Y./Shaker) ripped her first career home run in the third with a two-run shot that gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead, but Bjork cut the deficit to one with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning.
 
Wisconsin Lutheran tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a squeeze play, and it took the lead with a three-run sixth. Freshman center fielder Arianna Sanchez, sophomore designated player Karah Ritacco and Bjork all had RBI in the inning to give the Warriors a 6-3 advantage.
 
Spadinger came up big once again, batting in two runs with a double in the top of the seventh. Wisconsin Lutheran's junior pitcher Abby Mahsem recorded a pair of strikeouts to end the game with runners on first and second.
 
Zummo went 2-for-4 with one RBI, while Spadinger batted 2-for-4 with four RBI, one run scored, one double and one home run. Senior right fielder Amanda Tantillo (Florida, N.Y./S.S. Seward) also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3.
 
Bjork and junior left fielder Brea Johnson each finished with a pair of hits for Wisconsin Lutheran.
 
Sophomore pitcher Rhea Pitkin (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) shouldered the losing decision for the Cardinals, while Mahsem earned the win for the Warriors.