NAPLES, FLA.—The SUNY Potsdam softball team (2-6) split with Haverford College (8-2) and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (4-8) on its last day in Florida. The Bears fell to the Fords 13-3 before rebounding to hammer the Panthers 9-1.
 
Potsdam struck first for three runs against Haverford in the top of the second. Sophomore pitcher Lexie Cottrill (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles) plated junior third baseman Alexa Abbatantuano (Corinth, N.Y./Corinth) with an infield single. Cottrill then came around to score on an error. Sophomore second baseman Kiara Lovejoy (Lansing, N.Y./Lansing) then drove in senior left fielder Chesnie York (Corinth, N.Y./Corinth) with another infield single.
 
The Fords immediately tied the game with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the second. They then seized control of the contest with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the third for an 8-3 lead. They tacked on another in the fifth before breaking the game open with four runs in the sixth for the 13-3 final.
 
Offensively, Cottrill was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI for the Bears. York was 1-for-3 with a run and Lovejoy was also 1-for-3 with an RBI. Haverford right fielder Addie Sapirstein was 3-for-4 with an RBI and first baseman Mia Kessinger was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Second baseman Jocelyn Leal was 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Left fielder Maddie Etheridge was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and seven RBI.
 
Lexie Cottrill (0-1) allowed 13 runs, six earned, on 15 hits while going the distance for Potsdam. Susie Piper (3-0) earned the win for the Fords, allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits and striking out two in four innings. Rachel McQueen pitched the last two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two.
 
 
In the finale against the Panthers, Potsdam struck early and never let up. The Bears scored two runs in the first inning on a RBI double from Abbatantuano and a RBI single from junior designated player Kelsey Bennett (Hammond, N.Y./Hamond).
 
The Bears doubled their lead in the bottom of the second. Sophomore third baseman Rebecca Holmes (Lawtons, N.Y./North Collins) brought in Abbatantuono with a sacrifice fly and Bennett scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.
 
Potsdam put the game away in the fourth with five runs on two hits and three Panther errors. Sophomore shortstop Kaylee Dobransky (New Britain, Conn./CREC Academy of Science and Innovation) drove in Lovejoy to start the run. Dobransky then scored on an error. Senior first baseman Anna Grottola (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) came around on another error. Junior pinch hitter Kat Tompkins (Pleasant Valley, N.Y./Arlington) followed with a bases loaded walk to bring in Abbatantuono. Freshman pinch hitter Bailey Traynor (North Bangor, N.Y./Brushton-Moira) drove in sophomore right fielder Danielle Moscarello (Arlington, Vt./Mount Anthony Union) on a fielder's choice to make it 9-0. The Panthers broke up the shutout in the top of the fifth with one run, but it was all they could get across.
 
Moscarello finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Grottola was 1-for-3 with two runs and Abbatantuono was 1-for-2 with three runs scored and a walk. Designated player Daytona Wentzel was 3-for-3 for Pitt-Bradford.
 
York (2-2) picked up the win for the Bears. She allowed one run on five hits in five innings and struck out two. Krislyn Clement (2-1) was roughed up for the Panthers. She allowed nine runs, three earned, on eight hits, while striking out two. Ashton Beckerink had a walk in 0.2 innings pitched for Pitt-Bradford.
 
The Bears are now off until April 2, when they travel to Cazenovia College for a doubleheader.