POTSDAM, N.Y.—SUNY Plattsburgh (8-18, 3-9 SUNYAC) swept two games from the SUNY Potsdam softball team (3-18, 0-10) in the Bears' home-opening doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon. The Cardinals rallied for three runs late to take game one 3-1 and pulled away late in game two for a 12-4 win.
 
Sophomore shortstop Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) was 3-for-7 with a run scored. Junior Katie Marsman (Wantagh, N.Y./Wyoming Seminary) had two hits and two RBI and freshman Lauren Brace (Moriah, N.Y./Moriah) had a solo home run for the Bears. Plattsburgh senior shortstop Brittany Marshall (Malone, N.Y./Franklin Academy) and freshman second baseman Amanda Tantillo (Florida, N.Y./S.S. Seward Institute) each had two RBI for the Cardinals.
 
Game one was a pitcher's duel between Bears freshman Megan Dougherty (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) and Plattsburgh junior Morgan Anderson (Johnsonville, N.Y./Hoosic Valley). The duo each worked around a handful of hits and walks to put up zeroes until the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Brace launched an Anderson offering over the left field fence to put Potsdam up 1-0. Dougherty then retired Plattsburgh in order in the top of the fifth.
 
In the top of the sixth, Marshall led off with an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error. A wild pitch then advanced her to third. Next, Cardinals third baseman Jackie Decker (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) hit a hard ground ball to shortstop. Ott attempted to catch Marshall too far off third, but the throw got away and Marshall came home with the tying run. The Cardinals tacked on two more unearned runs on an RBI single from first basemen Lauren Graves (Schenectady, N.Y./Colonie) and another error. Anderson worked around a two-out single by Ott in the bottom of the seventh to seal the 3-1 win.
 
Dougherty (1-2) had the strongest outing of her career. In just her second start, she went six innings without an earned run, scattered four hits and struck out and walked three. Freshman Jaime Hoskins (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) worked a scoreless seventh despite allowing two hits and a walk.
 
Anderson (4-6) struck out eight in the full seven innings and allowed the one run on four hits along with a walk.
 
Plattsburgh started more quickly in the nightcap. Freshman center fielder Dominique Zummo (Commack, N.Y./St. Anthony's) scored on a double steal and freshman pinch runner Evelyn Vicencio (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) came home on a wild pitch to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Plattsburgh took advantage of four Potsdam errors in the top of the second to build a 5-0 lead.
 
Marsman singled in freshman third baseman Chelsea Streeter (Massena, N.Y./Massena) and sophomore right fielder Noelle Rufa (Helena, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central) to cut the deficit to 5-2 after three. However, Plattsburgh put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth with seven more runs. The Bears closed the scoring with RBI doubles from Marsman and Brace in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Hoskins (1-9) was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs, three earned, on two hits. Dougherty was roughed up for five earned runs on six hits in 2.1. Junior Carina Chirinko (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) pitched a scoreless final inning.
 
Plattsburgh freshman Taylor Smith (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) went the full five innings, allowing four runs on a four hits, while striking out two and walking one.
 
The Bears are back on the road this weekend with doubleheaders at Brockport and Geneseo. Potsdam faces the Golden Eagles at 3 and 5 p.m. on Friday and the Blue Knights at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday.