COLCHESTER, Vt. – The Plattsburgh State softball team fell in two non-conference games on Tuesday evening, facing off against NCAA Division II Saint Michael's. The Cards fell in extra innings in game one, before the Purple Knights won game two in five innings.
Emma Deo (Averill Park, N.Y./Averill Park) tallied three hits, picking up an RBI while also doubling.
Gwen Noll (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony's) and
Megan Pillus (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill) each had multi-hit games while Noll walked and Pillus scored a run.
Plattsburgh State falls to 5-20 and next hosts SUNY Canton on Friday, April 25 at 3 p.m. in doubleheader conference action. The Purple Knights improve to 15-16-1 and next travel to New Haven for NE10 action on Friday, April 25.
Game One: Saint Michael's 4, Plattsburgh 3 (9 innings)
The Purple Knights walked off game one as CJ Davidson ripped a walk-off single to left to earn the victory in nine innings. Deo was 3-4 in the game one loss, driving in a run, and doubling.
Noll and Pillus each went 2-4 while Noll walked and stole a base, and Pillus doubled and scored a run.
Sara Isaacs (Malta, N.Y./Shenendehowa) doubled and drove in a run, and
Michelle DeFina (Commack, N.Y./Commack) also drove in a run.
Carly Gemmett (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) started the game and tossed the first three innings, allowing no runs, before coming back in for the ninth and taking the loss.
Cadey Wheat (Edwards, N.Y./Edwards-Knox) went four innings in relief, allowing just one earned run.
For Saint Michael's, Emma Nordahl was 3-4 while Davidson was 2-4 with two RBI. Maddy Eaton went eight innings as the starter, allowing three runs, while Kate Parker earned the win with a scoreless top of the ninth.
After three full innings of scoreless ball, the Purple Knights struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring two unearned runs as they took advantage of two Cardinal errors.
The 2-0 lead held until the top of the sixth, as the Cards rallied to tie the game. Pillus got on with a one-out double, and Deo doubled her home to get the Cards on the board and down just one run. DeFina followed with a base hit to center field, tying the game at two runs apiece.
In the top of the seventh, after a one-out single from Noll,
Meghan Stork (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) reached on a fielder's choice, keeping a runner on but now with two outs. Isaacs followed with a double down the left field line, and Stork came around from first base to score, giving the Cards a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, Davidson doubled to left to bring home Brooke Edgerly, who walked and stole a base.
The game continued into extra innings, and in the ninth, Andrea Dimauro singled to lead off the inning and was pinch-run for by Kiera Parker. A sacrifice bunt followed, and then a wild pitch moved Parker to third, setting up the walk-off single from Davidson.
Game Two: Saint Michael's 13, Plattsburgh 1 (5 innings)
The Cardinals fell in game two 13-1 as the Purple Knights scored three, four, and five runs in the first three innings to run-rule Plattsburgh State.
Noll had the lone RBI for the Cardinals while Stork and Isaacs had the lone hits. DeFina scored the lone run in the top of the fifth, reaching on an error. Gemmett took the loss in game two for the Cards in the circle.
Kate Parker went five innings in game two and allowed just two hits for Saint Michael's, striking out seven hitters and walking three. Jenna Devens homered twice and drove in seven runs to lead the Purple Knights' offense, while Abreanna Smith was 3-3 with two RBI, and Davidson tripled and drove in two runs on two hits.
Saint Michael's quickly built a big lead, adding three runs on four hits in the first, four runs on three hits in the second, and five runs on four hits in the third. The 12-0 lead proved to be too much for the Cards, as they also added a run in the bottom of the fourth to head into the final inning of the game up 13-0.
In the fifth, the Cards finally rallied for a run, as DeFina reached on an error, and eventually came around to score after a walk and wild pitch moved her to third. Noll brought in the sophomore with a sacrifice fly, but the next batter grounded out to end the game.
