Hawks’ Pitchers Toss One-Hitters in Twinbill Against Gators

TROY, NY — The Hawks’ offense provided 26 runs of support for sophomore pitchers Michelle Reinke (St. James, NY) and Kelly O’Hea (Huntington Station, NY), who each tossed a one-hitter in a doubleheader against Russell Sage. SUNY New Paltz has now won three of their last four games as they shutout the Gators 11-0 in the second game, after taking the opener 15-1.

SUNY New Paltz (7-13) scored 15 runs on 17 hits, batting .500 as a team to soar past Russell Sage (3-19) in the opener of this afternoon’s doubleheader. The Hawks scored 13 runs in the first three innings, eight coming in the third. Junior catcher Margaret Blair (Lake Peekskill, NY) went 3-for-5 with two doubles, knocking in three on a base clearing single in the third. Freshman outfielder Gina Morano (Shirley, NY) and sophomores, shortstop Amalia Ditrapani (Staten Island, NY) and outfielder Joelle VonBischoffshausen (North Brunswick, NJ) each recorded two hits.

Junior catcher Jessica Andrews (Essex Junction, VT) played spoiler in both contests collecting a hit in each for the Gators. Andrews’ homer in the fourth ended Reinke’s chance at a second no-hitter. Reinke struck out 11 in the affair, and walked only two to earn her sixth win of the year.

O’Hea pitched a one-hit shutout in the second game to pick up her first win of 2006. She pitched all five innings, only allowing one base runner, when Andrews broke-up her no-hitter with a triple in the third.

The Hawks scored ten times in the first two innings to provide O’Hea with all the run support she would need. Senior first baseman Liz McPartlan (Huntington Station, NY) went 3-for-3 at the plate, including a first inning two-run homerun, her first of the year. Outfielders, sophomore Lauren Motzkin (Woodstock, NY) added a run scoring single and junior Amy O’Brien (LaGrangeville, NY) contributed a two-run single, as SUNY New Paltz scored seven times in the first.

The SUNY New Paltz softball team will host John Jay College in a 3:00 pm doubleheader tomorrow, Tuesday, April 11.