PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State softball opened up play at Cardinal Park in 2024 with two dominant victories over SUNY Canton, defeating the 'Roos 16-0 and 12-4. Each game saw balanced offensive efforts with seven multi-hit games between the two wins.

Julia Golino (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) was outstanding for Plattsburgh, both in the circle and at the plate. She fired a complete game shutout in game one, striking out eight, while also collecting three total hits, seven RBI, and her first home run. Sara Isaacs (Malta, N.Y./Shenendehowa) also had an excellent day at the plate, picking up five hits, six RBI, three doubles, and one triple. Claire Palmer (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) returned to the lineup and registered five hits, five runs, two RBI, and two stolen bases.

Golino registered a hit in both games to extend her hit streak to 19 games, dating back to last year. Mikayla Manalo (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) extended her on-base streak dating back to last year as well, with her streak now at 13 straight games.

The Cardinals improved to 5-7 with the wins and will open conference play in their next matchup, taking on SUNY Potsdam at Cardinal Park on Saturday, April 6 beginning at noon. Canton falls to 0-6 and opens league play on Friday, April 5, taking on SUNY Cobleskill.

Game One: Plattsburgh 16, Canton 0 (5 innings)

The Plattsburgh softball team needed just four innings at the plate to score a season-high 16 runs and force the five-inning run rule in game one of Tuesday's doubleheader. The 16 runs are the most the Cardinals have scored since last season when they scored 16 runs against Fredonia on April 22, 2023. The last time Plattsburgh State has scored over 16 runs was April 13, 2014, when they beat Oswego State 18-7.  

Golino earned the complete game win, giving up just three hits in five innings and striking out nine for her second win of the season. Isaacs was 3-4 in game one of the day, as she doubled and tripled, drove in three runs, and scored three times. Palmer and Dolly Garguilo (Monroe, N.Y./Washingtonville) each had two hits, with Palmer scoring three times and Garguilo driving in two runs and walking twice.
The Cards jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first inning, as Golino started the scoring with an RBI single to left. The inning was capped with Megan Pillus (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill) scoring on a wild pitch to put the Cardinals up by five runs.

Plattsburgh State extended their lead in the second with a Garguilo two-run double to left center. The following inning, Isaacs tripled to score Palmer and then scored on an error, giving the Cards a 9-0 lead through three innings.

In the fourth, Plattsburgh took advantage of five walks to score seven runs on just three hits to go up 16-0. Four straight walks to start the frame gave the Cards an early run with Manalo picking up an RBI, and Palmer followed with a single to left center to bring in a run. After a fielder's choice brought home a run, Isaacs doubled to left center, scoring two more runs to put the Cards up 14-0. Golino drove in a run with an RBI groundout in the following at-bat and Leila Toomey (Commack, N.Y./Commack) scored the final run of the game with a single up the middle to score Isaacs.

In the fifth, Golino picked up two quick outs and worked around an error, inducing a game-ending groundout to give the Cards the 16-0 win in their home opener.

Caitlyn Reed took the loss in the circle, giving up 11 hits and 11 earned runs while walking nine batters.

Game Two: Plattsburgh 12, Canton 4 (6 innings)

Golino and Isaacs combined to drive in eight runs in game two, as the Cards won 12-4 in six innings. Morgan Ormerod (Valatie, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) earned the win for Plattsburgh with six innings of work, striking out a career-high 11 batters while allowing four runs.

Golino hit a three-run home run and also double, driving in five runs while Isaacs was 2-3 with three RBI, doubling twice. Emma Deo (Averill Park, N.Y./Averill Park) had a three-hit game for Plattsburgh, driving in two runs, while Palmer also had three hits, scoring twice.

Once again, Plattsburgh scored early and often, with Isaacs doubling home Palmer for the first run of the game and Golino doubling in two runs right after to put the Cards up 3-0 in the first. The team added five more runs in the second, as Isaacs doubled home two runs and Golino hit her second career home run to score three and make it 8-0 Plattsburgh.

In the third, the Cards extended their lead as Deo doubled home a run and Palmer singled up the middle to score Deo later in the frame.

Canton did not go quietly however, with a three-run double from Gabby Cunningham and a Taryn Morrisey single putting the Kangaroos down 10-4 after the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the frame, Deo got a run back for Plattsburgh, singling home a run to make it an 11-4 lead for the Cardinals.

After Ormerod bounced back with a scoreless fifth, the Cards did not score for the first time in an inning in the bottom of the fifth, keeping the game moving to the sixth. After another quick inning from Ormerod, Plattsburgh was primed for a walk-off run rule, with Garguilo reaching on an infield hit to lead off the frame. After a flyout, a wild pitch moved her to second base, as Deo blooped a single to shallow center. The center fielder, charging hard, overran the ball, allowing Garguilo to score and for Plattsburgh to win 12-4.

Reed took the loss in game two as well for Canton, going 5.1 innings and giving up 10 earned runs on 13 hits, while Cunningham had two hits, three RBI, and scored a run.