CLERMONT, Fla. – The SUNY Oneonta softball team completed the first half of its spring trip south yesterday with a pair of wins versus Lebanon Valley and Sage College.  The Red Dragons finished its Florida portion of the schedule with a record of 5-1.  Oneonta now heads to Columbus, GA to compete in the NFCA Leadoff Classic, which begins on Friday.
 
In the opening day of the season, Oneonta made quick work of both New England College and Muhlenberg in five innings.  The Red Dragons collected 27 hits while scoring 29 runs in picking up the two wins.
 
Against New England College, junior Katie O'Gorman (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) and Marlene Cuevas (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) each had a pair of hits.  Sophomores Ashley Lefebvre (Waterford/Waterford-Halfmoon) and Cori McFall (Pleasant Valley/Arlington) drove in three and four runs respectively.
 
In Oneonta's 13-2 win against Muhlenberg, senior Jamie Whittam (Saugerties/Saugerties) was a double short of hitting for the cycle, as she went 3-for-5 with a triple and a home run while driving in five runs.
 
Cuevas, classmates Jennifer Brocco (Kingston/Kingston) and Killeen Martin (Bay Shore/Bay Shore) and freshmen Selena Ruiz (Westbury/W.T. Clarke) and Lauren Sabatino (Bayville/Locust Valley) all had two hits in the game.
 
Whittam knocked in two runs and first year pitcher Kate Wood (Suffern/Suffern) hurled four scoreless innings in relief to lead the Red Dragons team to a 7-5 victory over Simmons College on Monday.
 
Oneonta took advantage of seven Simmons errors in the victory and never trailed after scoring twice in the top of the first.
 
Cuevas belted a double and drove in a pair of runs. First year designated player Lauren Sabatino (Bayville/Locust Valley) and junior third baseman Jenn Brocco each knocked in a run and collected a single for the Red Dragons.
 
Oneonta's first loss of the season came to Aurora 7-1.  Oneonta collected five hits including a pair by Lefebvre.  Junior Sabrina DeAngelis (East Meadow/Kellenberg Memorial) struck out seven batters in suffering her first loss of 2016.  DeAngelis picked up her first win of the season against New England College.
 
On the final day in Florida, Oneonta defeated Lebanon Valley, 11-8, and Sage, 7-1.  The big hit in the game was a bases clearing double in the top of the seventh inning by Brocco that opened up an 11-6 lead.
 
Cuevas collected three hits and two RBIs while freshman Dana DelGenio (New Hartford/New Hartford) had a pair of hits and drove in a pair of runs.
 
Versus Sage, Whittam put the game out of reach early with a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning.  Whittam is off to a tremendous start, as she is leading Oneonta with a .474 average while slugging an even 1.000 with 19 total bases through the first six games.
 
Junior Amanda Graziano (Riverhead/Riverhead) went the distance striking out five batters to pick up her second win of the season.
 
The Red Dragons will begin its NFCA Leadoff Classic with a game versus Illinois Wesleyan at noon followed by a contest with Berry at 2:30pm.  They will face Texas-Tyler on Saturday at 10am before being assigned to one of the three championship brackets based on their record in pool play.  The tournament concludes on Sunday.