OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State softball team played two close games on the road Friday evening, falling to Oswego State 3-1 in eight innings and 5-2 in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action. With the losses, and two Fredonia wins, Plattsburgh is eliminated from postseason contention.

Claire Palmer (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern), Megan Pillus (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill), Sara Isaacs (Malta, N.Y./Shenendehowa), and Gwen Noll (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony's) each had two-hit games, with Isaacs doubling twice in game two, totaling three doubles on the day. Morgan Ormerod (Valatie, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) had a strong outing in game one, giving up just three earned runs in 7.1 innings and striking out seven.

Plattsburgh State falls to 11-23 on the season and will wrap up the 2024 campaign tomorrow, May 4 at Cortland for a noon start against the Red Dragons. Oswego State improves to 9-21 and will take on Potsdam in their SUNYAC final tomorrow, May 4.

Game One: Oswego 3, Plattsburgh 1 (8 innings)

Game one proved to be a pitcher duel, as the teams went into extra innings tied 1-1. Ormerod threw her seventh straight game of at least seven innings, moving to 6-7 as she took the loss. Her counterpart, Fiona Higgins, tossed eight innings surrendering just one unearned run while walking three, giving up eight hits and striking out five.

Palmer was 2-4 in game one, scoring the lone Cardinal run, while Pillus was 2-4. Mikayla Manalo (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) reached base twice with two walks and Dimitra Mouhteros also reached twice with a single and walk.

The starting centerfielder Palmer started the game off scoring a run, by singling, then getting to second and third on a passed ball, and scoring on a wild pitch to take the lead before Noll had even put a ball in play.

The 1-0 lead held all the way until the sixth inning when two doubles scored a Laker run. In the half-inning prior, the Cardinals had a runner thrown out at home on a base hit, as they ended up leaving the bases loaded with a chance to extend the lead.

Both teams went scoreless in the seventh, with Ormerod stranding the winning run on second in the inning, sending the game into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, Mouhteros led off the inning with a single and was pinch-ran for by Leila Toomey (Commack, N.Y./Commack). After moving to second on a groundout, she advanced to third on a passed ball, but the next two batters were unable to bring her home to leave the game tied at one.

The bottom half of the frame saw the game end on a two-run shot from the winning pitching Higgins, who homered to win the game for Oswego. Kira Wright was 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Lakers.

Game Two: Oswego 5, Plattsburgh 2

Game two of the day saw the Lakers grab an early lead, holding it the rest of the way to win 5-2 and take the SUNYAC sweep over the Cardinals. Julia Golino (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) took the loss in the circle for Plattsburgh, while Sarah Milyko (Goshen, N.Y./Chester Academy) went five innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out four.

Isaacs was 2-3 in game two with two doubles, driving in a run for the Cards, while Noll was 2-3 and scored both runs for Plattsburgh State. The pair had all four hits, while Golino drove in a run for the Cardinals.

Oswego grabbed two runs in the second inning, taking advantage of a leadoff error and also working in a double and single to help plate two Lakers. With the first four batters of the inning reaching, the Cards turned to Milyko early out of the bullpen and she responded by escaping the jam to keep the score at 2-0.

A single and RBI double to start the third for the Lakers pushed their lead to 3-0, but the Cards added a run of their own in the following half-inning, as Noll and Isaacs hit back-to-back doubles to trail just 3-1.

Oswego State tacked on two runs in the fifth, extending their lead to 5-1, behind three hits in the inning.

Plattsburgh added one more run in the seventh with an RBI groundout from Golino, after Isaacs's second double put two runners in scoring position to start the frame. After the groundout, however, the Cardinals went down in order, holding the score at 5-2 in favor of Oswego.

Chelsea Sellars earned the complete game win, going seven strong innings allowing just four hits and two earned runs while striking out three. Higgins was 2-3 in game two, driving in a run and scoring once.