POTSDAM, N.Y. – The SUNY Potsdam softball team (6-20, 2-6 SUNYAC) drop a pair of contests to SUNY Fredonia (4-20, 3-5 SUNYAC) on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon. Fredonia took game one by a score of 6-4 and held on for a 3-1 victory in the second game.
 
In game one, the Bears got off to a hot start, scoring three runs in the opening two innings. Senior outfielder Chesnie York (Corinth, N.Y./Corinth) brought home sophomore second baseman Kiara Lovejoy (Lansing, N.Y./Lansing) on a triple to left center, her second of the season. Sophomore third baseman Rebecca Holmes (Lawtons, N.Y./North Collins) complimented her teammate by hitting a triple of her own to right centerfield, plating senior first baseman Anna Grottola (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) for a quick 2-0 Potsdam lead over the Blue Devils. In the second inning, sophomore pitcher Lexie Cottrill (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles) scored on a base hit up the middle from junior outfielder Anna Brown (Ellenburg Depot, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) to give the Bears another run and make it a 3-0 lead for Potsdam.
 
Fredonia answered in the third inning by scoring two runs. Sophomore second baseman Allie Wandell (Newark Valley, N.Y./Newark Valley) brought home junior shortstop Alexis Wulf (Cattaraugus, N.Y./Cattaraugus-Little Valley) on a single to right field. Sophomore outfielder Megan Guidry (Newburg, N.Y./Valley Central) then flied out to left field, allowing Wandell to tag and score on the sacrifice fly. The Blue Devils trailed by one run heading into the fourth.
 
After two scoreless innings, the Blue Devils plated two runners while Potsdam found home plate once in the sixth inning. Fredonia struck first on a base hit to right field from freshman pinch hitter Mac Miller (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West), scoring freshman pinch runner Isabella Lemke (Ransomville, N.Y./Wilson Central High School). Junior outfielder Alyssa Santiago (Spring Glen, N.Y./Ellenville) scored on the same play off an error by the right fielder. The Bears struck back when Cottrill shelled her second triple of the season to right field, scoring sophomore outfielder Danielle Moscarello (Arlington,Vt./Mount Anthony Union) to tie the game at four runs apiece going into the seventh.
 
It was all Fredonia in the final inning. Wandell hit an RBI double to left centerfield to score freshman designated player Madison Esmond (Buffalo, N.Y./Kenmore East). Senior pitcher Emily Chelius (East Rockaway, N.Y./East Rockaway) then hit a single to left field to plate Wandell for the final run of the game as the Blue Devils took a 6-4 victory over the Bears.
 
Cottrill was a perfect 2-2 with a run and an RBI. Junior catcher Kelsey Bennett (Hammond, N.Y./Hammond) went 2-3 on the afternoon. Both Brown and Holmes finished 1-3 with an RBI for Potsdam. Guidry went 2-3 for with an RBI for Fredonia while Wandell finished 2-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
 
Cottrill (2-6) went the distance for the Bears, allowing six runs, three earned, on nine hits and four strikeouts. Chelius (2-8) allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits and fanning seven batters to earn the win for the Blue Devils.
 
Game two proved to be a low scoring affair for both teams. After three scoreless innings to begin the game, Blue Devils senior third baseman Victoria Pauwels (Florida, N.Y./S.S. Seward Institute) hit an RBI triple to right centerfield, plating sophomore first baseman Erin Cunningham (East Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches).
 
No runs were scored again until Fredonia plated two in the sixth inning. Miller rounded home on an RBI double from Cunningham. Sophomore pinch runner Isabella Rizzo (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) used her quickness to get Fredonia's second run of the inning off a base hit from Pauwels. Down three runs in the bottom of the sixth, Potsdam scored their first run of the game when Cottrill sprinted home on a wild pitch to trim the Blue Devils lead 3-1. Fredonia held Potsdam to one hit in the seventh as they took the second game of the doubleheader 3-1.
 
Junior outfielder Hailey Bushaw (Philadelphia, N.Y./Indian River) went 1-2 and Brown also went 1-2 with a walk. Cottrill finished 1-3 with a run for the Bears. Pauwels went 2-2 with two RBIs and Cunningham finished 2-3 with a run and an RBI for the Blue Devils.
 
Brown (1-7) pitched 6.1 innings, allowing three runs, all earned, on 10 hits. Graduate student pitcher Sierra Ashley (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Lisbon) finished out the game allowing one hit for the Bears. Freshman pitcher Mack Celauro (2-5) (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) pitched 5.2 innings, allowing one run, earned, on seven hits on her way to earning the win for the Blue Devils. Junior pitcher Vanessa Galbraith (Geneseo, N.Y./Livonia) allowed one hit to earn her second save of the season.
 
The Bears are back in action tomorrow when the host Buffalo State for a twin bill starting at 12 p.m.