CLERMONT, FLA.—The SUNY Potsdam softball team (0-2) fell in its contests against St. Vincent College (Pa.) (2-0) and Wesleyan College (Ga.) (2-6) to open the 2015 season. The Bearcats downed the Bears 14-1, while the Wolves blanked Potsdam 5-0.
In the opener against St. Vincent, the contest was scoreless through the first two innings. The Bearcats finally broke through with four runs in the top of the third inning, capped by a two-run double from left fielder Laken Lyon. In the bottom of the fourth, the Bears got on the board with a sacrifice fly from sophomore designated hitter
Angela Yodis (Duanesburg, N.Y./Schalmont) that scored freshman third baseman
Chelsea Streeter (Massena, N.Y./Massena). Freshman catcher
Lauren Brace (Moriah, N.Y./Moriah) advanced to third on the play, but was stranded. The Bearcats tacked on two more in the top of the sixth and then broke the game open with eight runs in the seventh.
Freshman pitcher Jamie Hoskins (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) (0-1) was tagged with the loss in her Potsdam debut after allowing four runs, two earned, and two hits and seven walks in 4.1 innings. She struck out three. Fellow freshman Megan Dougherty (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) was roughed up for 10 runs, six earned, on nine hits and three walks in 2.2 innings. She struck out two. Samantha Emert (1-0) went the distance to earn the win for St. Vincent. She allowed a run and scattered eight hits, while walking one and striking out two.
Streeter led the Bears offensively, going 2-for-3 in the contest. Right fielder Sara Swettlen paced the Bearcats, reaching on all four of her plate appearances. She was 1-for-1 with three walks, one RBI and three runs scored.
The day's finale was much less explosive. Wesleyan scored one run in five of the first six innings, while frustrating the Bears at the plate. Tiffani Linville scored on an error in the bottom of the first. Streeter gunned down Wolves second baseman Sam McMahon at second in the bottom of the second. However, Wesleyan right fielder Colleen DeGraff broke from third on the throw and scored to make it 2-0. Pitcher Valerie Clower scored the third run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third. The following inning, Linville hit an RBI double to left field to score McMahon to put Wesleyan up by four. Wolves third baseman Jessica Fleming scored on another wild pitch in the bottom of the six to close the scoring at 5-0.
Bears junior
Carina Chirinko (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) (0-1) allowed five runs, three earned, on 10 hits, while walking three and striking out three. Clower (1-3) allowed a single hit to Potsdam shortstop
Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) and walked one for the shutout. Linville was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Wesleyan.
The Bears look to bounce back tomorrow when they face the University of Mount Union (Ohio) (0-2) at 1 p.m. and John Carroll University (Ohio) (1-1) at 5 p.m.
