PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State softball team played its first games of the season at Cardinal Park, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Vermont State University Castleton 5-4 (8 innings) and 6-3 (5 innings). The Cards lost an extra-inning battle in game one and were unable to recover from a six-run inning in game two, falling in a five-inning game that was shortened due to darkness.
Sara Isaacs (Malta, N.Y./Shenendehowa) tallied five hits between both games, driving in two runs, finishing the day with three doubles.
Bella Toleman (Stillwater, N.Y./Stillwater) walked four times, and
Gwen Noll (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony's) reached base three times, tripling and walking twice.
Plattsburgh State falls to 3-8 on the season and opens up conference play on Friday, April 4, at 3 p.m. against Potsdam. VTSU-Castleton moves to 9-7 and continues conference play on Saturday, April 5, at UMass Dartmouth.
Game One: VTSU-Castleton 5, Plattsburgh 4 (8 innings)
Isaacs went 3-4 with 2 RBI, but a two-run top of the eighth for the Spartans led Castleton to the 5-4 win over the Cardinals in extras. The Cards were ahead for most of the game, but the Spartans tied things up in the fifth on an error and then won in extra innings.
Morgan Ormerod (Valatie, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) tossed eight innings and gave up four earned runs, taking the loss. Noll went 1-2 with an RBI triple and walked twice, while Toleman walked three times.
Emma Deo (Averill Park, N.Y./Averill Park) also drove in a run for Plattsburgh State.
For the Spartans, AJ Rogers went 3-4 with two runs scored and a solo home run, and Mikayla Walsh was 1-2 with an RBI, a run scored, and two walks. Trista DeLong went six innings of relief for Castleton, allowing just one run and four hits.
Rogers struck first for the Spartans and opened the scoring with a solo homer as the second batter of the game.
The Cardinals had an immediate response in the bottom half of the inning, as Isaacs doubled home two runs with a deep double to left-center field. Noll followed with a triple to right-center in the bottom of the second inning, scoring a run and putting Plattsburgh up 3-1.
In the top of the third, the Spartans got a run back as they rallied to load the bases, and Walsh drew a walk to score a run and put the team down one run.
The 3-2 Plattsburgh lead held until the fifth inning, but an error allowed a run to score and tied the game.
The tie held through the seventh as both teams stranded runners and could not get the clutch hit to take the lead.
In extra innings, a leadoff double for the Spartans put the go-ahead run in scoring position. A single followed, giving Castleton the lead, and a one-out double later in the inning set up a sacrifice fly to put them up 5-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, a single and walk started the frame for Plattsburgh, with a subsequent groundout putting the tying run in scoring position with runners on second and third. Deo followed that up with a sacrifice fly, but the fly ball could not move the runner up from second, and the next batter grounded out, ending the game as the Spartans secured the win.
Game Two: VTSU-Castleton 6, Plattsburgh 3 (5 innings)
The Cardinals once again had an early lead but could not overcome a six-run top of the fourth that set up a 6-3 Castleton win, in what was a five-inning game, shortened due to darkness.
Isaacs was 2-3 in game two with two doubles, while
Sarah Milyko (Goshen, N.Y./Chester Academy) was 1-2 with an RBI and run scored.
Meghan Stork (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) finished game two 1-1 with two runs scored as she was also hit by a pitch.
Carly Gemmett (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) took the loss, going 3.2 innings and striking out five, while
Cadey Wheat (Edwards, N.Y./Edwards-Knox) tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless ball with two strikeouts.
Madi Gould earned the win in the circle for Castleton, giving up just two earned runs while striking out six in five innings of work. Walsh was 2-3 with two RBIs in game two, and Jess Heinrichs was 1-3 with two RBIs for the Spartans.
The Cardinals struck first in the second inning as Stork singled to open the frame and was sacrificed over to second. Milyko followed with a single to left center, scoring Stork, and advanced to second on the throw to keep a runner in scoring position. After a wild pitch advanced her to third,
Leila Toomey (Commack, N.Y./Commack) hit a soft ground ball to third, and Milyko looked to be caught in a rundown ,but an errant throw home from the third baseman allowed her to score, giving Plattsburgh a 2-0 lead.
After a scoreless third inning for both teams, Gemmett quickly got two outs in the fourth, but the Spartans rallied to tally six runs as they used three walks, two HBPs, and two big singles to take a 6-2 lead. Wheat entered with the bases loaded and limited the damage by inducing an inning-ending groundout.
As darkness began to come over the field, Stork did get the Cardinals a run back, leading off the fourth by reaching on a HBP and moving over to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a groundout from Milyko moved her to third, she came around to score on a wild pitch, shrinking the deficit to 6-3.
After scoreless top of the fifth from Wheat, Plattsburgh's first two batters were quickly retired, but Isaacs followed with a hustle double to left-center to keep the game going. The following batter was retired, however, as Gould struck them out swinging, giving the Spartans the doubleheader sweep.
