PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Behind a strong outing in the circle from
Carly Gemmett (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) and timely hitting, the Plattsburgh State softball team took game one of a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader, 4-1, before dropping the second game of the twin bill, 9-2.
Megan Pillus (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill) and
Bella Toleman (Stillwater, N.Y./Stillwater) each had three hits across the doubleheader, while
Sara Isaacs (Malta, N.Y./Shenendehowa) had two hits on the day and hit the first home run of the season for Plattsburgh State.
Plattsburgh moves to 6-21 (3-9 SUNYAC) and next take on SUNY Canton at home in Cardinal Park, tomorrow, April 25, for a 3 p.m. doubleheader. Oswego State moves to 10-20 (3-9 SUNYAC) and next heads to Potsdam for a SUNYAC doubleheader on April 25.
Game One: Plattsburgh 4, Oswego State 1
The Cardinals scored three runs in their first inning at the plate on Thursday, and that was all the starter Gemmett needed to lead the Cards to the win.
Gemmett finished the day with seven strong innings, allowing just one run while striking out seven. Pillus and Toleman each went 2-3, as Pillus doubled and drove in two runs, while Toleman scored once.
Sarah Milyko (Goshen, N.Y./Chester Academy) was 2-2 and walked,
Emma Deo (Averill Park, N.Y./Averill Park) drove in a run, and
Meghan Stork (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) had a hit and scored two runs.
For Oswego State, McKenzie Carlson drove in the lone run while Kylie Detz had a double. Chelsea Sellars went six innings, allowing three earned runs and nine hits, walking three and striking out two.
After Gemmett worked around a leadoff single, the Cardinals went to work in the bottom of the first.
Gwen Noll (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony's) led the inning off with a double down the left field line, and Stork moved her over to third with a sacrifice bunt, but the throw was off-line and Noll scored and Stork reached and moved to second. After a popout, Toleman singled and then stole second, and Pillus followed with a single up the middle to put the team up 2-0. Deo followed with a single as well to score Toleman, but Pillus was thrown out at home to prevent the Cards from going up by more than three runs early.
From there, Gemmett and Sellars cruised through the next three full innings, as the score remained 3-0 until the bottom of the fifth.
In the fifth, Stork led off the frame with a single to center and stole second after a popout. A groundout moved her over to third, and Pillus followed with a double down the left field line, scoring Stork and extending the lead to 4-0.
Gemmett didn't have any trouble until the seventh, when two weakly hit balls found the outfield grass, and the next batter was hit to load the bases with no outs. Gemmett got the next batter to strike out, and then Carlson reached on a fielder's choice that scored a run, but also got the second out of the inning. With the tying run at the plate again, Gemmett forced the Detz to pop up to end the game and give the Cards the 4-1 win.
Game Two: Oswego State 9, Plattsburgh 2
In game two, the Lakers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third and held on before they pulled away with a big, six-run seventh. Starter Maria Lutz led the way in the circle, tossing seven innings, allowing just two runs while striking out two.
Isaacs was 2-3 in game two, scoring two runs while blasting the first home run of the season for the Cardinals.
Michelle DeFina (Commack, N.Y./Commack) had an RBI as well for the Plattsburgh offense.
For Oswego State, Carlson was 3-4 with three runs scored and two triples, while Ellie Mahoney was 4-4 with a double. Detz was 3-4 with an RBI and run scored, and Carolyn Sculco and Gianna DeGonza drove in three runs, while Kira Wright drove in two with a triple.
Oswego State opened the scoring in the third inning as Carlson tripled and scored in the following at-bat to put them up 1-0. In the fifth, Carlson tripled and scored again on a DeGonza sacrifice fly, putting the Lakers up 2-0.
In the bottom half of the fifth, Isaacs crushed the first pitch of the inning deep to left field and over the fence for her first homer of the season and the first this year for the Cardinals.
In the following half-inning, a safety squeeze bunt scored another run for the Lakers as Sculco picked up the RBI. Oswego State followed that up in the seventh with six runs on six hits, as DeGonza doubled in two runs, Sculco singled home two runs, and Wright tripled home two runs.
In the seventh, a one-out single from Isaacs was followed by a walk, allowing DeFina to bring home Isaacs, cutting the lead to 9-2. The next two batters were retired, however, ending the game and giving Oswego the 9-2 win.
