CLERMONT, FLA.—Middlebury College (6-3) broke open a tight contest late to defeat the SUNY Potsdam softball team (3-4) 10-3 in the Bears' Florida finale. Freshman left fielder
Lucy Condon (Kitchener, Ontario/St. David Catholic) was 2-for-3 with an RBI and junior third baseman
Chelsea Streeter (Massena, N.Y./Massena) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Doubles from Panthers third baseman Olivia Bravo and right fielder Melanie Mandell gave Middlebury a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. A triple from designated player Marybeth Stone and a single from catcher Liza Tarr doubled the advantage in the fourth.
Potsdam got three runs back in the bottom of the fifth. Senior right fielder
Kolbi Lyon (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh) scored on an error. Condon and Streeter then closed the gap to 4-3 with RBI singles that scored sophomore center fielder
Brooke Falsion (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) and senior shortstop
Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton), respectively.
After adding a single run in the top of the sixth, Middlebury put the game out of reach with five runs in the seventh. The final blow was a two-run double to left off the bat of Tarr.
Junior
Meghan Dougherty (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) (0-2) allowed four earned runs on seven hits in four innings. Sophomore
Alissa McCauley (Malone, N.Y./Franklin Academy) gave up six runs, five earned, on seven hits and two walks in the final three innings. Allison Quigley (3-2) went the distance for the Panthers, allowing three runs, one earned, on seven hits and two walks. She struck out six.
Senior catcher
Lauren Brace (Moriah, N.Y./Moriah), freshman first baseman
Emma McCarthy (Stone Ridge, N.Y./Roundout Valley), and Falsion also had a hit each for the Bears.
Poor field conditions have forced multiple schedule changes for the upcoming weekend. Potsdam's doubleheader at Oneonta on Saturday has been moved to Onondaga Community College in Syracuse on Monday at 11 a.m. Sunday's doubleheader at New Paltz has been moved to the Frozen Ropes Training Center in Chester, N.Y. at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. That forces a postponement of the Bears Tuesday home opening doubleheader against St. Lawrence. No makeup date has yet been scheduled.
