April 7, 2015

TROY, N.Y. – The SUNY Oneonta softball team split a pair of 6-4 contests with RPI Tuesday evening. Junior Jamie Whittam (Saugerties/Saugerties) proved to be the difference in the first game as she recorded her first home run of the year in grand fashion in the top of the ninth inning to seal the Red Dragons' 12^th victory of the season. The Engineers sank the Red and White in game two with a four-run second inning.

Game 1:
Oneonta wasted little time getting on the board in the opener. Freshman Ashley Lefebvre (Waterford/Waterford-Halfmoon) led the contest off with a 2-2 single to short; senior Nicole Marzillo (Bay Shore/Bay Shore) followed with a single to second on the first pitch she saw. Three batters later, junior Traci Lichtenstein (Plainview/JFK) drew a walk to load the bases for sophomore Katie O'Gorman (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa). The left fielder sent a 1-2 pitch up the middle bringing home Lefebvre.
RPI answered in the bottom of the second. Leadoff hitter Morgan Ten Eyck singled to center before moving to third in the next at bat with a double to right center. She would go on to score on an error by Marlene Cuevas (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham).

The scored remained 1-1 until the eighth inning. Lefebvre started the inning on second and scored when senior Brianna Rivera (Pomona/North Rockland) ripped a double to left center field. In the bottom half of the frame, the Engineers' scored on an RBI single with one out.

The teams forged on to the ninth inning knotted at three. Sophomore Shelby Cleaveland (Oneonta/Oneonta) ran for Cuevas, whom started the inning on second. Lichtenstein drew a walk on four pitches to start the inning. Sophomore Jenn Brocco reached on an error that moved Cleaveland to third. Rookie Karly Ziegler (Levittown/Island Trees) reached on a fielder's choice in a pinch hit appearance that moved Lichtenstein to third and Brocco to home; Cleaveland was put out at home on the play. With two outs and the bases loaded, Whittam made her fourth plate appearance of the day. The second baseman crushed a grand slam to left field to put the Red Dragons up by a score of 6-2. The dinger makes her the fourth Red Dragon to post four RBis in a single game this season.

RPI responded with just two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Kacie Herity scored on a wild pitch before Victoria Greco crossed the plate on an RBI single by Christine White.

Sophomore Sabrina DeAngleis threw eight innings, surrendering a pair of runs, no earned, on five hits while fanning a trio and walking a pair for her seventh win of the campaign. Brocco moved from the hot corner to the circle for the ninth inning. She gave up two runs, one earned, on a hit with a strikeout and a walk.

Game 2:                                                                                                                        

Marzillo picked up at the start of the nightcap where Whittam left off. After Lefebvre started the game with a single to left on a 2-1 pitch, the first baseman sent a two-run shot to center.  

Following the same script as game one, RPI answered in the bottom of the second. With two out, Kathleen Baker reached on a throwing error by Brocco, who got the start in the circle, scoring two. The next batter, Danielle Balestrini, plated two more with a single up the middle. Of the four runs allowed, Brocco was not charged with any. Senior Rachel Hitt (Boonville/Adirondack Central) came in to finish the final 4.1 innings.

Oneonta got one of those runs back in the next half inning. Lefebvre moved Cleaveland, who reach on an error, to second on a sac bunt. Rivera came to the dish with two down to score Cleaveland on a single up the middle on a 1-1 pitch. O'Gorman put immediate pressure on the Engineers in the top of the fourth with a one-out triple to right center. Whittam scored O'Gorman with a two-out single to left.

That's as close as Oneonta would get. RPI tacked on a run in the bottom of the sixth to provide the 6-4 final.

Marzillo's first inning home run extended her streak of reaching base to nine.

The Red Dragons hit the road again tomorrow when they travel to Ithaca for a non-conference showdown with the Bombers at 3 p.m.