NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Senior left fielder/catcher
Jennifer Groat (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) earned her 200th career hit in the Plattsburgh State softball team's State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader split with SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday afternoon at Mary Gray Deane Field. The Cardinals bounced back from a 6-4 loss in game one with a 9-3 victory in game two.
Groat, the program's career record holder in hits, now has 202 for her career. She recorded her 200th hit with a double to left field in the top of the fifth in game one of the twinbill.
Plattsburgh State moves to 12-16 overall (6-8 SUNYAC) with the results and next visits defending SUNYAC champion SUNY Geneseo for a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Friday, April 26, at 3 p.m. New Paltz moves to 22-9 overall (9-5 SUNYAC) with the results and visits Buffalo State next on Friday, April 26, at 3 p.m.
Game 1: New Paltz 6, Plattsburgh State 4
A five-run second inning for New Paltz was the difference in a 6-4 win for the home team in game one.
After junior right fielder
Frannie Merkel (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) hit her first collegiate home run in the top of the second to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead, the Hawks countered with five runs in the home half of the inning. Junior center fielder Julia DiSpigna and sophomore left fielder Nina Simms each hit two-run doubles before Simms capped off scoring in the inning by coming across on an error.
Sophomore third baseman
Bella Spadinger (Loudonville, N.Y./Shaker) and senior center fielder
Amy Glashoff (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) each had RBI base knocks in the fifth to make it a 5-3 game before freshman pitcher Katie Quagliana extended the Hawk advantage to 6-3 with an RBI single in the fifth. Groat drove in Merkel with an RBI groundout in the top of the sixth, while New Paltz clamped down in not allowing a hit from that point forward.
Groat led the Cardinal bats by going 3-for-4 with one RBI, one run scored and a double, while Spadinger (2-for-4, one RBI) and Merkel (2-for-3, two runs scored, one RBI, one home run) also notched multiple hits. For New Paltz, Simms batted 3-for-3 with two RBI, one run scored and a double.
Freshman pitcher
Hannah Fuerst (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca East) drew the start in the circle and pitched 2 2/2 innings before handing the reins off to freshman pitcher
Elliana Bowlen (Keeseville, N.Y./AuSable Valley), who permitted just one run on four hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings of relief. Quagliana earned the win for New Paltz in game one, scattering 10 hits and allowing four runs.
Game 2: Plattsburgh State 9, New Paltz 3
Trailing 2-1 heading into the top of the sixth, the Cardinals erupted for five runs in the sixth inning and three runs in the seventh to post a 9-3 win in game two.
Merkel kicked off scoring with an RBI single in the top of the first, while sophomore right fielder Ashley Puig used an RBI double in the home half of the inning to knot the tally at 1-all. DiSpigna pushed a run across with an RBI groundout in the fourth to hand New Paltz a 2-1 edge, but Plattsburgh State countered with a five-run sixth.
Fuerst ignited the rally with a two-run single before freshman first baseman
Alex McKearin (Valatie, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) drove in two with a double to center field. Merkel's RBI double to left field capped off the surge and handed the Cardinals a 6-2 lead. In the seventh, Fuerst, Groat and McKearin each drove in a run, while senior second baseman Shannon Fee plated a run for the Hawks with two outs in the bottom of the inning.
Merkel paced the Plattsburgh State offense by going 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and a double, while Groat, McKearin and Fuerst all scattered multiple hits. Simms and junior first baseman Kelsey Trudden went 2-for-4 and 2-for-3, respectively, for New Paltz.
Fuerst threw a complete game to earn the game two win, yielding three runs on 10 hits and three walks. Sophomore pitcher Emily Fox sustained the loss for the Hawks, permitting six runs (five earned) on nine hits and five walks while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings of action.
