POTSDAM, N.Y.—After falling to SUNY Oneonta (15-10, 6-2 SUNYAC) 6-0 in game one, the SUNY Potsdam softball team (9-14, 2-4) continued to battle back in game two before falling 5-4 in nine innings. Junior shortstop Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) had three hits on the day, becoming the fifth Bear to reach 100 for her career. Senior captain Katie Marsman (Wantagh, N.Y./Wyoming Seminary) set the program record for doubles with her 25th in a Potsdam uniform.
 
The Red Dragons got all they'd need in the third inning of the first game. Oneonta got the first run of the contest on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by sophomore center fielder Ashley Lefebvre (Waterford, N.Y./Waterford-Halfmoon) that scored freshman first baseman Dana DelGenio (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford). Junior left fielder Katie O'Gorman (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) followed with a triple to center and Oneonta led 2-0 after two and a half.
 
The Red Dragons got three more in the fifth on long homer from sophomore right fielder Cori McFall (Pleasant Valley, N.Y./Arlington, N.Y.). Junior shortstop Marlene Cuevas (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) doubled in O'Gorman for the final run of the contest in the top of the seventh. Potsdam threatened the bottom of the seventh, but didn't score. Marsman hit a one out double to left field to set the program record. Senior captain Alexis Lerman (Fayetteville, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) followed with a single to right, moving Marsman to third. However, Red Dragon junior pitcher Sabrina DeAngelis (East Meadow, N.Y./Kellenberg) recovered to retire the last two Bears and complete the shutout.
 
Sophomore pitcher Sami Hubinsky (South Glens Falls, N.Y./SUNY Adirondack) allowed six runs on 11 hits and two walks over the full seven innings. She struck out two. DeAngelis scattered five hits and struck out five.
 
The game was halted during the top of the fourth as three U.S. Army Chinook helicopters from Fort Drum landed on neighboring Molnar Field. They were returning members of the Golden Knight Battalion Reserve Officer's Training Corp (ROTC) after several days of training in Vermont. One of the returning soldiers was SUNY Potsdam women's hockey senior captain Sally Mooney (Columbus, Ohio/Wyoming Seminary). Mooney exited the rear of middle the helicopter and ran to home plate to present the umpires Gary Dyson and Phillip Troutman with a ceremonial game ball. See pictures below.  
 
 
An RBI triple by O'Gorman and an RBI single from Cuevas put Oneonta up 2-0 in the top of the first in the second contest. The Bears countered with an RBI double from Hubinsky that plated Ott in the bottom of the first. Whittam put the Red Dragons up 3-1 in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly to left field. In the bottom of the third, Ott knocked in freshman center fielder Brooke Falsion (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) to get Potsdam within 3-2. Lerman tied the game in the next inning, coming home on an errant throw by the catcher after she had stolen third base.
 
Lefebvre led off the top of the fifth with a double that ended sophomore pitcher Meghan Dougherty (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) day on the mound. Freshman Alissa McCauley (Malone, N.Y./Franklin Academy) took over and quickly retired the next two batters, including a strikeout of McFall with an impressive fastball. She then induced what should have been an inning ending ground ball, but the throw pulled first baseman Marsman off the bag and Lefebvre came in with the go ahead run.
 
Potsdam placed runners at second and third with no outs in the bottom of the fifth, but was unable to capitalize. In the sixth, senior third baseman delivered Samantha Cohn (Monticello, N.Y./Monticello) delivered a clutch two-out single to right center that knocked in Marsman to tie the game at 4-4. McCauley worked around a leadoff walk to preserve the tie in the top of the seventh. DeAngelis came in to pitch the bottom half of the inning for Oneonta and Ott led off with a double to right for her 100th career hit. She was sacrificed to third, but Potsdam was unable to bring her home.
 
The Red Dragons threatened with runners at first and second and one out in the top of the eighth, but McCauley again shut them down. In the ninth, McFall drove in Lefebvre with a single to left for the eventual game-winning run.
 
The Bears didn't go quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Dougherty reentered to pinch hit for McCauley and laced a base hit to right field. Falsion bunted her to second. Chirinko then reached on an error to give Potsdam runners at the corners with two outs before DeAngelis was able to record the final out.
 
Dougherty allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks, while striking out two in the first four innings. McCauley (1-3) was the tough luck loser after allowing just one run on six scattered hits over five innings.
 
Junior Amanda Graziano (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) pitched the first four innings for Oneonta and received a no decision. She allowed two earned runs on five hits in four innings. Freshman Kate Wood (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) allowed a run on two hits and two walks in the next two innings. DeAngelis (6-6) claimed her second win of the day after pitching three scoreless innings of relief and allowing two hits.
 
Ott was 3-for-4 in the second game with one run scored and another driven in.
 
The Bears are back in action on Friday when they travel to Oswego for the first of four SUNYAC doubleheaders in four days. The first pitch against the Lakers is scheduled for 3 p.m.   

 

The Golden Knight ROTC Battalion returns to SUNY Potsdam - April 17, 2016

One of three U.S. Army Chinook helicopters based at Fort Drum lands on Molnar Field.

Returning ROTC members exit from one of the Chinooks.

SUNY Potsdam women's hockey senior captain and ROTC member Sally Mooney (Columbus, Ohio/Wyoming Seminary) runs in the game ball after landing.

Mooney presents the game ball to umpires Gary Dyson (L) and Phillip Troutman (R).

Mooney with Bears hockey teammates and softball players (L-R) senior Rachel Grefke (Livonia, Mich./Clarenceville), senior Katie Marsman (Wantagh, N.Y./Wyoming Seminar) and junior Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton).