By Rosie Sculco
Despite dropping all four games over the weekend, the Plattsburgh State softball team (5-18, 2-8) showed resilience and drive, pushing their first two matchups down to the wire before falling just short.
The Cards hit the road for a two-day doubleheader conference matchup against the New Paltz Hawks (13-13, 6-0) on Apr. 18 and the Oneonta Red Dragons (14-12, 8-2) on April 19.
“We realized that when we work as a team and everyone plays their role, we can be competitive with the top teams in our conference,” sophomore Cadey Wheat wrote in a text.
NEW PALTZ
“The entire team played so well as a unit, and to fall just short in both games was devastating,” Wheat wrote.
In game one, zeros filled the scoreboard for eight innings of play until the Hawks tallied one run, which was enough to defeat the Cards.
New Paltz had eight hits in game one, but the Cards defended the plate well, getting the outs in time every inning.
Junior Megan Pillus had the only Plattsburgh hit in game one, while junior Gwen Noll recording two walks and a stolen base.
Senior Carly Gemmett battled for nearly nine innings and finished the day with 8.2 innings of work, striking out three batters and scattering eight hits, while walking just one.
The Cards had their best chance to score in the top of the sixth inning as Noll walked with two outs and stole second. First-year Meghan Stork followed with a walk.
The Hawks forced a pop-up to end the threat.
The New Paltz pitcher recorded 10 straight batters retired before a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning with a two-out infield single to give the Hawks the win 1-0.
“We were in it until the end,” Gemmett wrote in a text. “We made plays in the field, and we got on base often and built trust in each other.”
In game two, the two teams found themselves in another pitcher’s duel.
This time it was Wheat for the Cards who went 6.2 innings, striking out two while allowing just three runs.
Pillus was 2-3 with a run scored while Noll was 2-4 for the Cards.
Stork drove in a run for the Cards while first-year Bella Toleman had an RBI with a run-scoring double.
Three scoreless innings began the game until Plattsburgh took their first lead of the day in the top of the fourth as Pillus singled to center field and then scored on Toleman’s double.
In the fifth inning, Plattsburgh added another run as sophomore Michelle DeFina led off the inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second base by sophomore Leila Toomey.
Noll and Stork followed with infield hits, as Stork’s single brought DeFina in to give the Cards a 2-0 lead.
Wheat enforced that lead all the way through six innings, but in the seventh, the Hawks rallied with five straight singles, all with two outs, to walk off the Cards 3-2 and earn the sweep.
“I think SUNY New Paltz didn’t expect us to come out strong, so it was definitely a fun and competitive atmosphere to be in,” Wheat wrote. “Everyone kept their composure pretty well, but unfortunately, New Paltz got timely hits in the last innings.”
New Paltz, which is the SUNYAC defending champion, remains undefeated in conference play.
ONEONTA
In game one, which included six innings of play, the Cards fell 14-5, tallying six hits to Oneonta’s 17, with both teams recording three errors.
After a scoreless first inning, the Red Dragons put six runs on the board on five hits and two errors.
“The other team was able to have the timely hits that we just didn’t have,” Gemmett wrote. “Both teams had to play in the same weather conditions, so it can’t be an excuse for us, we just have to adapt quicker and control what we can.”
Plattsburgh added a run in the following half-inning, as senior Sarah Milyko drove in Toomey with a single to right-center to make the score 6-1.
In the top of the fourth, Toomey brought in a run with an RBI groundout, closing the score gap by one.
However, Oneonta extended their lead 9-2 as they had back-to-back RBI singles and then an RBI groundout.
The Cards battled in the following inning, scoring three runs of their own with Stork starting the rally by doubling home Noll after she led off the inning with a single.
Sophomore Sara Isaacs followed with a single to center field, and Bella Toleman scored Isaacs with an RBI groundout.
Oneonta tallied one run in the bottom of the fifth inning, but ultimately put the game away in the sixth inning, They scored four runs, enforcing the run rule and ending the game 14-5.
Game two also ended in Oneonta’s favor as their offense did not slow down, scoring multiple runs, including a five-run sixth inning for the run-rule win.
The Cards started early as Stork singled with one out, stole second, and came around to score on a throwing error to put Plattsburgh up 1-0.
Oneonta responded with two runs in their turn of the inning, leading 2-1.
A scoreless second inning led to two more runs scored for Oneonta in the third, as back-to-back bases loaded walks put them up 4-1.
Pappas singled home Toleman in the fourth, but the Red Dragons once again added two runs in the bottom half of the inning to extend their lead to four runs.
Plattsburgh’s final run in the fifth was scored as Isaacs got caught in a rundown long enough for the Stork to score from third.
In the bottom of the sixth, Oneonta rocketed for five runs on six hits, winning the game with a run-rule.
“In softball, every moment matters, and whether it’s a small moment or a big play during the game, it adds up,” Gemmett wrote. “How we respond to this weekend is important for us.”
The Cardinal offense was led by DeFina and first-year Mikayla Pappas, who each went 2-3, while DeFina walked and Papas had an RBI.
Stork was 1-2 with two runs scored and a walk as well for the Cards.
Milyko pitched three innings, striking out two and walking zero.
“I think everyone is in agreement that we want to be the ones celebrating after the games,” Wheat wrote. “We are all confident that if we believe in ourselves and each other, we will have a better outcome.”
