NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State softball team fell in two State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) games on Thursday, falling to New Paltz 2-0 and 9-2. The Hawks now sit alone in first place in the SUNYAC, as Plattsburgh falls to fifth place in the standings with a 7-5 conference record. 

Kristina Maggiacomo (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) had a solid day for the Cardinals offensively and in the circle, as she totaled three hits on the day and threw six strong innings in game one as she took the loss in a pitcher's duel. Rebecca Diller (Halfmoon, N.Y./Shenendehowa) tallied two hits between both games, as the senior catcher/infielder drove in both runs in game two as well.

The Cardinals fall to 18-8 overall and 7-5 in conference play with the two losses and will look to finish the road trip strong as they travel to Oneonta for a doubleheader tomorrow, April 28 at 3 p.m. for more SUNYAC action. New Paltz improves to 24-10 and 11-1 in league play and faces Potsdam tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Game One: New Paltz 2, Plattsburgh 0

Game one of the day saw a pitcher's duel between Maggaicomo and New Paltz ace Lindsey Roman, as the pair stymied the opposing orders throughout the game. Ultimately, Roman won the battle as she fired her ninth complete game and third shutout of the season to lower her ERA to 1.46 on the year, while Maggiacomo went six innings, allowed only five hits and two earned runs, all while striking out two batters, lowering her season ERA to 3.05.

Offensively, only Maggiacomo and Diller were able to muster hits, as they both singled to start the fourth but were unable to come around to score. 

New Paltz scored the only runs of the game in the second and fourth inning, as Emmie Mae Cabrera tallied both RBIs for the Hawks. She brought the first run-in with a sacrifice fly in the second and then doubled to score a run in the fourth. 

Cabrera finished 1-1 with two RBI for New Paltz while Juliet Bernstein had two hits for the Hawks.

Game Two: New Paltz 9, Plattsburgh 2

Despite striking for two first-inning runs in game two, the Cardinals fell to the Hawks 9-2, as a seven-run third inning powered New Paltz to the doubleheader sweep. 

Maggiacomo had two hits in game two for Plattsburgh, with Diller driving in both runs for the Cardinals in the first inning on her lone hit of game two. Kristen Langdon (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) and Makayla Manalo (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) each had two hits as Langdon tallied a double and a run. Julia Golino (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) took her first loss of the season with 2.2 innings of work in the circle, with first-year Mackenzie White (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North) notching career-highs of 3.1 IP and a strikeout in her second appearance of the season. 

The Cardinals looked to start the game on the right foot in the second contest of the day, as they put together three hits in the first inning to score two runs. Langdon reached on an infield hit and Maggiacomo singled with two outs to put two on for the Cards. After a passed ball, Diller followed with an RBI single to right, plating the two baserunners and giving Plattsburgh a 2-0 lead. An infield hit in the following half-inning scored a run for New Paltz, making the score 2-1 after an inning of play.

After zeroes were put up on the scoreboard over the next two and a half innings, the Hawks' offense erupted for seven runs in the third on seven hits, taking a commanding 8-2 lead. White was able to enter and halt the rally, but the six-run lead gave a nice cushion to starter Sydney Waldon who was able to cruise to her eighth win of the season with five innings of work. Jillian Harrison finished the game in relief for the Hawks, throwing two scoreless frames. 

Jillian Shelbourne homered for New Paltz in the sixth, as the solo shot gave the Hawks the 9-2 lead that was the final score.