The SUNY Oneonta softball completed its greatest one season turnaround all-time today when it captured the 2014 SUNYAC softball championship with an 8-0 shutout in five innings against its rival SUNY Cortland.  Oneonta (29-9), who was picked to finish eighth by the coaches in the preseason poll, continued to believe and never gave up en route to running through the double elimination bracket without a loss.
 
"It's unbelievable," said first-year head coach Sara Headley.  "Our goal at the beginning of the season was to finish above .500.  This is amazing and I am so proud of this team for believing in the process and believing in themselves."
 
The title for Oneonta is its fourth conference championship in its history and first since 2004.  The other two championships came in 1999 and 2001.  The title also earned them an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament, which begins this coming Thursday at a site to be determined when the NCAA announces the tournament field on Monday morning at 10am on NCAA.com.
 
Last season the team finished 8-28 and didn't even qualify for the conference tournament.  Its 21 game improvement to this point is currently second all-time in the history of Division III for most improved teams.
 
"This team just continues to make it happen," stated Headley.  "They play with so much passion and they have grown so much throughout the season.  They just refuse to give up.  It is a pleasure coaching them."
 
All eight of Oneonta's runs against Cortland (28-15) came with two outs including the game-winner in the bottom of the fifth.  Freshman Katie O'Gorman (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) stepped to the plate with pinch runner, Nicole Brieva, on first base and two outs.  O'Gorman drove a 1-2 pitch to the fence in right center, which allowed Brieva to come all the way around for the eight and final run to end the game.
 
The host Red Dragons broke the game wide open with a two-out onslaught in the bottom of the third inning to push its lead to 7-0.
 
The first two hitters of the inning were retired before sophomore Traci Lichtenstein got things going with a single to right center field.  An infield single by freshman Marlene Cuevas (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) gave Oneonta a pair of runners on base.  The next batter was Brianna Rivera, who stroked a single to right center to drive in Lichtenstein while getting Cuevas to third base.
 
Junior Nicole Marzillo then roped a double to left center to score both Cuevas and Rivera.  After Marzillo stole third, sophomore Kristyn Neroda hit a single to bring home Marzillo.  Neroda wasn't on first for long, as O'Gorman hit a double to the gap in right center to score her while getting into scoring position.
 
O'Gorman scored the sixth run of the inning when sophomore Meaghan Foster singled just past an outstretched second baseman.
 
In today's first game against Brockport on the winner's side of the bracket, the Red Dragons took advantage of four Golden Eagle errors that led to three unearned runs in a 4-1 win.
 
Tournament MVP, freshman Sabrina DeAngelis (East Meadow/Kellenberg Memorial), collected both wins today, as she ran her season record to 17-5.  DeAngelis was 3-0 in the tournament with a 1.27 ERA.  In 22 innings she allowed 21 hits and five runs while recording 11 strikeouts.
 
O'Gorman, Rivera and Cuevas joined DeAngelis on the All-Tournament Team.  O'Gorman was 6-for-14 with all six hits being for extra bases including a home run in the tournament opener on Thursday against New Paltz.  O'Gorman drove in a team high eight runs over the four games.
 
Rivera had five hits and two runs batted in while Cuevas collected five hits including a home run while driving in four runs.
 
Headley concluded, "We are playing with a high amount of synergy right now.  We are looking forward to the NCAA tournament and we will bring our brand of softball with us, which is tough defense, strong pitching and timely hitting."