POTSDAM, N.Y.—A Herculean effort by the SUNY Potsdam facilities crew and the Bears softball team (0-9, 0-2 SUNYAC) was needed to make the softball field playable on Saturday. They accomplished their mission, but SUNY Oneonta (11-5, 2-0) spoiled Potsdam's home opener with a doubleheader sweep (10-2, 14-9).
There was no scoring until the third inning of game one, but the Red Dragons grabbed a 2-0 lead on a ground out and a fielder's choice. The Bears got on the board in the bottom of the third as freshman shortstop
Kaylee Dobransky (New Britain, Conn./CREC Academy of Science and Innovation) scored from third as a runner was caught stealing. Oneonta tacked on six in the top of the fourth. The big blow was a three-run double by junior second baseman Marissa Nagel (Averill, N.Y./Averill Park). The Red Dragons extended their lead to 10-1 on an error and a ground out in the top of the fifth. Potsdam got one back in the bottom of the inning as junior first baseman
Anna Grottola (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) scored on a wild pitch.
Senior
Sierra Ashley (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Lisbon) (0-5) allowed six earned runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings. Sophomore
Anna Brown (Ellenburg Depot, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) allowed four runs, two earned, on three hits in the last 1.2 innings. Freshman Cadence Brennan (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) (2-1) earned the win after giving up just one run, three hits and striking out three in the first three innings. Fellow freshman Angelina Scalere (Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley) allowed an unearned run on three hits and four strikeouts in the last two innings.
Senior second baseman
Vanessa Brandt (Saugerties, N.Y./Saugerties) was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3. Grottola was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run.
Nagel had a monster contest for Oneonta, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI.
Game two was a slugfest. Oneonta opened up a 4-0 lead over the first two innings on. Red Dragons senior left fielder Megan Palmatier (Bainbridge, N.Y./Bainbridge-Guilford) opened the scoring with a two-run double in the top of the first. Dobransky answered for the Bears with a bases loaded triple in the bottom of the second that scored freshman left fielder
Emily Beck (Lowville, N.Y./Beaver River), sophomore designated player
Kelsey Bennett (Hammond, N.Y./Hammond) and sophomore pinch runner
Samantha Harrison (Willsboro, N.Y./Willsboro) to make it 4-3.
Oneonta plated two more in the top of the third on a passed ball and an error. The Bears countered with an RBI single from Bennett that scored senior catcher
Hailey LaGiudice (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) and it was 6-4.
The Red Dragons extended their lead to 9-4 with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. Sophomore catcher Aysia Oliver (Brentwood, N.Y./Brentwood) knocked in the ninth run with a double to center. The Bears then rallied to tie the game with a five-run fifth. Ashley knocked in the first with a ground out that scored freshman centerfielder
Danielle Moscarello (Arlington, Vt./Mount Anthony Union). Junior third baseman
Madison McCormick (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Heuvelton) followed with an RBI single that brought in LaGiudice. Dobransky closed the gap to 9-7 with an infield single that scored Beck. Grottola and McCormick then came around to tie the game on an error.
Oneonta then smothered Potsdam's momentum with a four-run sixth. Palmatier knocked in two with a double to left and then scored on a wild pitch. An error made it 13-9. The Red Dragons added one last run on a ground out in the top of the seventh.
Ashley (0-6) allowed seven runs, four earned, on seven hits in 2.1 innings. Brown allowed six runs, four earned, on three hits in 3.0 innings. Sophomore
Rebecca Holmes (Lawtons, N.Y./North Collins) allowed a run on two hits in 1.2 innings in her college pitching debut.
Sophomore Marissa Dionisio (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) (2-0) picked up the win after allowing four runs, two earned, on three hits in 3.0 innings. Senior Kathryn Davies (Tinton Falls, N.J./Monmouth Regional) allowed three runs on three hits in 1.1 innings. Sophomore Lauren Weber (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) allowed two runs on five hits in 2.2 innings.
Grottola was 2-for-4 with a run. LaGiudice was 2-for-4 with two runs. Bennett was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Dobransky finished 2-for-3 with four RBI.
Palmatier was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Oliver was 3-for-3 with two RBI and Nagel was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Potsdam is back in action tomorrow at noon as they host SUNY New Paltz in another SUNYAC doubleheader.
