BROCKPORT, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam softball team (8-28, 4-14) closed out the season with the first sweep of SUNY Brockport in program history. The Bears took game one 6-4 and then defeated the Golden Eagles 13-4 in game two in five innings.
The Bears jumped out in front in the top of the first inning of the opener. Sophomore second baseman
Kiara Lovejoy (Lansing, N.Y./Lansing) led off with a single to right. She later stole third and scored on an error to make it 1-0.
The Golden Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the second. Designated player Hailey Burdick led off with a double and scored on an error to make it 1-1.
The Bears scored three times in the top of the fourth. Senior first baseman
Anna Grottola (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) started things off with a single and then stole second. Sophomore third baseman
Rebecca Holmes (Lawtons, N.Y./North Collins) followed with an infield singled that pushed Grottola to third. Junior catcher
Alexa Abbatantuono (Corinth, N.Y./Corinth) then blasted a three-run homer to make it a 4-1 contest.
Brockport closed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth. Pinch hitter Hannah Jacobs knocked in the first run with a single to center. A wild pitch allowed the third run to score.
Potsdam got some critical insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Lovejoy started things off with a walk. Junior right fielder
Kelsey Bennett (Hammond, N.Y./Hammond) then doubled to right center. Grottola followed with another double to right center, plating both runners and giving the Bears a 6-3 advantage.
Annie Dipirro gave the Golden Eagles their final flash in the bottom of the seventh. The first baseman homered to close the scoring at 6-4.
Sophomore pitcher Lexi Cottrill (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles) (3-10) went the distance for Potsdam. She allowed three earned on eight hits. Fiona Gibiser also pitched a complete game for Brockport. She allowed five earned runs on eight hits and recorded four strikeouts.
Grottola was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run for the Bears. Abbatantuono was 2-for-3, including the home run, with three RBI and a run. Lovejoy was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs. Burdick finished 2-for-3 with a run to lead the Golden Eagles.
In the finale, the Potsdam jumped on their hosts for seven runs in the top of the first inning. Abbatantuono walked with the bases loaded to force in Lovejoy for the first run. Holmes then singled to score Grottola and Bennett to make it 3-0. Sophomore centerfielder
Danielle Moscarello (Arlington, Vt./Mount Anthony Union) followed with a single to bring in Bennett. Abbatantuono then scored on an error and Moscarello came in on a wild pitch. Senior pitcher
Chesnie York (Corinth, N.Y./Corinth) capped the rally with a single up the middle to drive in sophomore shortstop
Kaylee Dobransky (New Britain, Conn./CREC Academy of Science and Innovation) to make it 7-0.
The Golden Eagles answered with a two-run double off the bat of Dipirro in the bottom of the first. Brockport added two more in the bottom of the second on a two-run single from centerfielder Kellie Gentile and it was a 7-4 contest.
The Bears put the game away with six more runs in the top of the fifth. Cottrill drove in Moscarello with a single to center. Bennett extended the lead to 10-4 with a single that brought in Cottrill and junior pinch runner
Hailey Bushaw (Philadelphia, N.Y./Indian River). A Grottola double down the left field line plated Lovejoy. Bennett scored on a wild pitch and Grottola came home on a passed ball for the final run of the game and made it 13-4.
York (4-6) allowed just one earned run on four hits for Potsdam. Roseland Stroh (3-8) started for the Golden Eagles and allowed six earned runs on two hits and two walks without recording an out. Gibiser relieved her and allowed seven runs, four earned on eight hits, in five innings.
Bennett, Grottola and Moscarello were each 2-for-4 for the Bears. Bennett also had two runs and two RBI. Grottola and Moscarello had two runs and an RBI. Holmes and Cottrill each went 1-for-3 with a run. Holmes had two RBI and Cottrill had one.
Gentile and Dipirro were each 1-for-3 with two RBI.
In her three plus seasons, Grottola has a .331 batting average, .477 slugging percentage, .380 on base percentage, .983 fielding percentage, 548 putouts, 86 hits, 40 runs, 17 doubles, six triples, 32 RBI and 18 stolen bases. She ranks fourth in program history in batting average, sixth in slugging and on base percentage, 11th in hits, 10th in doubles, third in triples, third in fielding percentage and first in putouts.
Offensively, the Bears hit .263 on 252 hits this season, the seventh and fourth best single-season totals in those respective categories. They also scored 130 runs, the third best total in program history and broke the triples record with 20. Potsdam's eight wins were the most since 2019 and their four conference victories are the second most in a season.
