PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State softball team split a pair of one-run State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) games with SUNY New Paltz on Friday afternoon at Cardinal Park, winning, 4-3, in game one before dropping a 5-4 decision in the nightcap.
 
Plattsburgh State moves to 17-16 overall (9-7 SUNYAC) with the results and next hosts SUNY Oneonta in a Senior Day doubleheader tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., which will be its final series of the SUNYAC schedule. The Cardinals will honor their eight seniors in a ceremony between the two games. New Paltz moves to 14-19-1 overall (7-9 SUNYAC) with the results and visits SUNY Potsdam tomorrow for a 9:30 a.m. twinbill.
 
Game 1: Plattsburgh State 4, New Paltz 3
 
Plattsburgh State broke a 3-all tie with an RBI double by junior first baseman/left fielder Jennifer Groat (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) in the bottom of the sixth, and the Cardinals held the Hawks scoreless in the top of the seventh to pull out the victory.
 
After three scoreless innings, junior catcher Anna Fisher (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) put Plattsburgh State on the board with a two-run home run to center field that also plated senior designated player/first baseman Kelsey Gage (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush). Later on in the inning, senior left fielder/center fielder Dominique Zummo (Commack, N.Y./St. Anthony's) drew a bases-loaded walk to hand the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
 
New Paltz erased the shutout bid in the top of the fifth with an RBI single to left field from freshman shortstop Katie Conrad, and in the sixth, sophomore first baseman Kelsey Trudden squared the score at 3-all with a two-run triple to right center.
 
That set the stage for the Cardinals' go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Preiss (Cornwall, N.Y./Cornwall) singled to second base to lead off the inning before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Groat then launched a 0-1 pitch to deep center field to drive in Preiss.
 
New Paltz threatened in the seventh, as junior second baseman Shannon Fee led off the inning with a double, and freshman Nina Simms came in to pinch run for her. Sophomore designated player Taylor Fischer used a bunt single to advance Simms to third, but after rounding third, Simms was eventually called out for violating the look-back rule. Plattsburgh State then forced two groundouts to end the game.
 
Preiss and Groat each went 2-for-4 to lead the Cardinal bats, while Fee batted 3-for-3 with two doubles to pace the Hawks.
 
Senior pitcher Katie Pitkin (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) drew the start in the circle for Plattsburgh State, yielding three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out one in 5 1/3 innings of work. Senior pitcher Taylor Smith (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. New Paltz utilized two pitchers in the loss, with sophomore pitcher Alyssa Pfitscher being the pitcher of record.
 
Game 2: New Paltz 5, Plattsburgh State 4
 
New Paltz scored all of its runs in the fifth and sixth innings and prevented a comeback bid in the final two frames to escape with the win.
 
The Cardinals jumped into the run column early, with Preiss scoring on a wild pitch and Groat driving in a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. Plattsburgh State made it a 3-0 game in the fourth, as freshman second baseman Shannon Myles (Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur) pushed across a run on an RBI double to left center.
 
New Paltz tied the game in the fourth. Conrad plated a run with a single before senior left fielder Taylor Leonette scored on a wild pitch. Senior center fielder Julia Perhacs worked 10 pitches during her at-bat before scoring Conrad with a single up the middle.
 
The Hawks added to their lead in the sixth, as Fee drove in a run with a double to left field before Conrad gave the visitors a 5-3 cushion with an RBI infield single.
 
Plattsburgh State drew within one in the sixth, as Myles used a sacrifice fly to plate Fisher. The Cardinals put runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, but the Hawks induced an infield pop up to end the game.
 
Eight different Cardinals had a hit in game two, led by Gage, who went 2-for-3. Conrad and Trudden each batted 2-for-4 for the Hawks.
 
Sophomore pitcher Rhea Pitkin (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) started the game in the circle for Plattsburgh State and lasted 4 2/3 innings before handing the reins over to Smith, who shouldered the loss despite allowing just two unearned runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three. Pfitscher earned the complete-game win for New Paltz, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits and five walks while striking out one.