CLERMONT, Fla. – The Plattsburgh State softball team earned a split for the second straight day, defeating Salem State 1-0 and falling to Middlebury 6-4. In the game two win, Carly Gemmett (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) was spectacular, spinning a one-hit shutout while striking out 12.

Sara Isaacs (Malta, N.Y./Shenedehowa) tallied three hits on the day, also walking once, as she scored and drove in a run. Mikayla Manalo (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) kept her hot hitting going in game one, tallying her third straight multi-hit game.

Plattsburgh State moves to 3-6 on the season and now travels back north where they next play at home on Wednesday, April 2 against VTSU-Castleton. Salem State falls to 5-6 after falling to the Cards and finishes up the day with an afternoon game against Bates. Middlebury improves to 11-3 this season as they also defeated Wellesley College before their game against Plattsburgh. The Panthers next take on Skidmore on Tuesday, March 25 in Middlebury, Vermont.

Game One: Middlebury 6, Plattsburgh 4

Middlebury came back from an early 4-0 deficit to take down the Cards 6-4 in game one of the day for Plattsburgh. The Panthers chipped away, while their bullpen held the Cards hitless to secure the win.

Manalo continued her hot stretch of play on Friday morning with her third straight multi-hit game, going 2-3 with two RBI, and also walking once. Gwen Noll (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony's) had a hit and scored a run, while Belle Toleman (Stillwater, N.Y./Stillwater) had an RBI double. Meghan Stork (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) also reached base twice with two walks. Morgan Ormerod (Valatie, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) took the loss for Plattsburgh, pitching all six innings allowing four earned runs while striking out two.

For Middlebury, Abigail Jankowski earned the win in relief, going two scoreless, hitless innings and McKenna Lont picked up the save with three scoreless, hitless innings. Kristyn Carroll went 2-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and two RBI and Cate Viola had a hit and drove in a run.

In the first inning, Noll reached on an error to start the day and then stole second. Manalo followed with a single and Isaccs hit a sharp grounder in the hole, where the only play was at first, advancing Manalo second and scoring Noll. Toleman then doubled to deep right-center, bringing home Manalo and giving the Cards a 2-0 lead.

After a 1-2-3 frame from Ormerod, an HBP and error put two runners on for Plattsburgh, and a single from Noll loaded the bases with one out. Manalo then laced a single to left center, scoring two runs for a 4-0 Cardinal lead.

After an error scored a run for Middlebury in the bottom of the second, they went to Jankowski out of the bullpen and despite some walks, she settled in to hold the Cards scoreless in the third and fourth.

In the bottom of the third, an error started the frame, followed by a double, and a ground out followed by a sacrifice fly scored two runs to put the Panthers down 4-3. In the bottom of the fourth, a two-run double from Carroll gave Middlebury the lead, and Viola then drove Carroll in with a single up the middle.

The score held at 6-4 the rest of the way, as each team was able to put runners on but could not pick up the big hit. In the seventh, the Cardinals went down in order, falling 6-4 to their cross-lake rival.

Game Two: Plattsburgh 1, Salem State 0

Gemmett posted her fourth game with double-digit strikeouts and the Cardinals defeated Salem State 1-0 behind the right-handed arm. She allowed just one hit over seven innings, walking two and striking out 12 in a dominant effort in the circle. On the season, she already has 48 strikeouts in 29 innings, averaging 11.57 strikeouts per seven innings.

Isaacs had her best day at the plate so far this season, going 3-3 with a run scored, while Toleman had an RBI double that was the deciding factor. Stork and Emma Deo (Averill Park, N.Y./Averill Park) each had hits as well for the Cards.

For Salem State, Sula Roberge was solid, going five innings allowing just one run on six hits, walking four, and striking out four. Taylor McDermott had the lone hit for the Vikings, leading off the seventh inning with a base hit up the middle.

A 1-2-3 first from Gemmett quickly turned the show over to the Cardinal offense, and Isaacs singled to right with two outs in the frame, advancing to third on an error by the right fielder. Toleman followed with a double to center that would have scored Isaacs, anyway, putting Plattsburgh up 1-0.

The one run was all Gemmett needed as worked around an error to start the second to then retire nine straight batters before walking the leadoff hitting in the fifth. She then struck out the next batters, allowed another walk, and struck out the next batter to escape the jam.

Plattsburgh had two, one-out singles in the following half-inning but left the bases loaded after a two-out walk to keep their lead at just 1-0.

Gemmett went 1-2-3 in the sixth as well but allowed the leadoff single to McDermott who was pinch run for. Deo gunned down the runner trying to steal and Gemmett struck out the other two batters in the inning, clinching the 1-0 win for the Cards.