The SUNY New Paltz softball team traveled to tenth ranked Cortland Tuesday afternoon and fell to the Red Dragons 3-1 and 8-1.
Rose Dovi (Cortland) registered the lone hit for the Hawks and Samantha Barra (Islip) drove in the only run for New Paltz. Sophomore Courtney Costello (Bayport/Bayport Blue Point) took the loss on the mound as she allowed three runs on four hits in five innings of work.
Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a RBI groundout to the shortstop. The Hawks tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth. Elizabeth May (Commack) reached on an error and advanced to second on a passed ball. Melyssa Cilmi (Huntington Station/Walt Whitman) bunted May to third before Barra brought May home on a groundout to the pitcher. The Red Dragon earned the win in the fifth inning, scoring two runs on two hits.
In game two, Dale Cornelius (Carle Place) and Barra each went 2-3 from the plate as the Hawks left six runners on base. Devon Kelly (Baldwin) took the loss on the mound as she allowed seven runs on seven hits in three and two thirds innings. Alyssa Oliva (Fishkill/John Jay) threw the final two and a thirds inning and allowed one run on three hits.
New Paltz scored their only run of the second game in the first inning. Cilmi reached base after being hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a ground out to the pitcher. Barra drove Cilmi home on a single to left center. Cortland answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on two hits and one error. The Red Dragons added to five runs on four hits in the fourth inning and completed the scoring in the sixth inning with one run on two hits.
The Hawks fall to 9-11 on the season and 1-5 in conference play. New Paltz will return to action on Friday April 3rd when they host Fredonia at 3:00 pm.
