NAPLES, FLA.—The SUNY Potsdam softball team (0-2) fell Alverno College (2-1) 4-2 and Clark University (1-3) 4-1 on Monday afternoon.
 
In the opener, it was a pitcher's dual between Potsdam's junior pitcher Anna Brown (Ellenburg Depot, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) and Alverno's Natalie Akin both shutting down their opposing offenses until the fourth when Alverno's Izzy Torres singled to right field, driving in Sam Marchant.
 
Alverno then scored three more runs in the fifth, giving the Inferno a 4-0 lead headed into the bottom frame where sophomore shortstop Kaylee Dobransky (New Britain Conn./CREC Academy of Science and Innovation) hit a sac fly to score sophomore outfielder Danielle Moscarello (Arlington, Vt./Mount Anthony Union).
 
Sophomore pitcher Lexie Cottrill (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles) finished the game on the mound for the Bears allowing no runs in 2.2 innings pitched. Potsdam tallied one run in the seventh with a single from senior first baseman Anna Grottola (Ronkonkoma, N.Y/Connetquot) to score sophomore middle infielder Kiara Lovejoy (Lansing, N.Y/Lansing).
 
Grottola led the Bears offense in game one, posting two hits on three plate appearances.
 
In Game 2 for the Bears, senior pitcher Chesnie York (Corinth, N.Y./Corinth) made her Potsdam debut on the mound. Clark found the scoreboard early, putting up three runs in the first. York then shut them down until the sixth when Samantha Crowlley scored on a wild pitch. Junior catcher Alexa Abbatantuono (Corinth, N.Y./Corinth) scored off a passed ball in the seventh to get the Bears on the board, but the Potsdam ran out of outs, ending in a 4-1 decision.
 
York took the loss on the mound, allowing just one earned run and recording five strikeouts in seven innings.  
 
Senior outfielder Emily Beck (Lowville, N.Y./Beaver River) went 1-for-2 and Lovejoy, Grottola, Abbatantuono and Dobransky all tallied base hits.  
 
The Bears are back in action tomorrow, March 6, with two games. Potsdam faces Grove City at 11 a.m. and Anna Maria College at 1 p.m.