NEW PALTZ, NY — The SUNY New Paltz softball team split a doubleheader against SUNYAC rival Oswego State in their final home games this afternoon. New Paltz won the first game, 2-1, and Oswego State captured the second game, 2-1, in eight innings.
The first game was scoreless through three innings until Oswego State (5-25, 1-13) broke through with a run in the fourth when freshman Nicole Sgambati (Mechanicville, NY) hit a one-out single to left field that scored junior Willow Eyres (Red Creek, NY). Behind the strong pitching of junior Heather McBride (Mechanicville, NY), who struck out five, the Lakers maintained their 1-0 lead until the bottom of the seventh.
New Paltz (6-26-1, 2-14) began their seventh inning rally when sophomore Liz McPartlan (Huntington Station, NY), who went 2-for-3 in the game, tripled to right center field with one out. Following the second out of the inning, freshman Amy O’Brien (LaGrangeville, NY) doubled to right field to drive home McPartlan and tied the game at 1-1. The next batter, sophomore Danielle Porcelli (Huntington Station, NY), roped a single to right center field that brought home O’Brien with the game-winning run.
Freshman Kerianne Eastman (Central Square, NY) went 3-for-3 for the Lakers. Junior Laura Thomas (Interlaken, NY) picked up her fifth win of the year for New Paltz.
In game two, Oswego State again jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the fourth when sophomore Missy Constanza (Hannibal, NY) scored on a fielder’s choice by sophomore Laurie Volkmar (Hilton, NY).
New Paltz tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth when O’Brien hit an RBI single to left field that plated senior Val Blackman (Castle Creek, NY) who had reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second base.
The game remained deadlocked at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth when the Lakers scored the game-winning run. Freshman Carolyn Agle (Eden, NY) led off the inning with a single to center field and scored when Eastman doubled to left field.
Sophomore Susie Burt (Cuba, NY) allowed just two hits in picking up the win and Agle went 1-for-3 with a run.
O’Brien went 1-for-3 with an RBI and freshman hurler Carrie Briscoe (Stuyvesant, NY) allowed just one earned run and struck out five in the loss.
