NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz softball team dropped a pair of State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) games against Catskill Cup rival SUNY Oneonta on Tuesday, falling, 3-2, in game one before dropping an 8-0 decision in five innings in game two.  The wins for the Red Dragons ran its current winning streak to nine games including eight consecutive in the SUNYAC to move into second place.
 
With the wins, Oneonta now ties New Paltz at 20-all in the Catskill Cup standings. The final regular-season Catskill Cup points will be on the line on Tuesday, April 26, when the Hawks host the Red Dragons at 4 p.m. in women's lacrosse.
 
New Paltz drops to 12-11 overall (4-4 SUNYAC) with the losses and next visits Mount Saint Mary College tomorrow for a 3 p.m. doubleheader. Oneonta rises to 17-10 overall (8-2 SUNYAC) with the wins and next hosts Union (N.Y.) College tomorrow for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader.
 
Game 1: Oneonta 3, New Paltz 2
 
Oneonta drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh in game one to take the lead, and the Red Dragons proceeded to bounce back in the home half of the inning after a leadoff walk, recording three straight outs to come away with the victory.
 
After the Hawks induced a groundout to start the top of the seventh, sophomore center fielder Ashley Lefebvre (Waterford/Waterford-Halfmoon) singled through the left side to put a runner on first with one out. A groundout moved her into scoring position before sophomore right fielder Cori McFall (Pleasant Valley/Arlington) used a double to right center to give the Red Dragons the lead. Junior designated player Nicole DeCosta led off the home half of the inning with a walk, but strong play from Oneonta's catcher and infielders during the next two at-bats helped the visiting team claim game one.
 
The Red Dragons opened scoring in the top of the fourth, as two runs came across as a result of two Hawk errors. New Paltz bounced back in the home half of the frame to tie the score, though, with senior pitcher Katie Rutcofsky driving in a run with a single down the right-field line before DeCosta doubled in a run three batters later.
 
Six different Hawks registered a hit in game one, while junior shortstop Marlene Cuevas (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) and freshman catcher Selena Ruiz (Westbury/W.T. Clarke) each had multi-hit outings for the Red Dragons.
 
Junior pitcher Sabrina DeAngelis (East Meadow/Kellenberg Memorial) earned the win in the circle in the front end of the twinbill, yielding two runs off six hits, two walks and two hit by pitches while striking out six. Rutcofsky shouldered the loss, allowing three runs (one earned) off seven hits and two walks while striking out four.
 
Game 2: Oneonta 8, New Paltz 0 (5 inn.)
 
The Red Dragons relied on the long ball in game two, with six of their eight runs coming off a pair of home runs.
 
After two scoreless innings, the Red Dragons jumped on the board with a five-run third. The first run came across on an error, but three batters later, junior left fielder Katie O'Gorman (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) cleared the bases with a grand slam. In the fifth, one Oneonta run came across on a groundout before freshman first baseman Dana DelGenio (New Hartford/New Hartford) smashed a two-run home run to give the Red Dragons an 8-0 advantage.
 
Sophomore left fielder Danielle Bruno and sophomore third baseman Alexa Mastando each had a hit for New Paltz in game two, while Cuevas and DelGenio each had two base knocks for Oneonta.
 
Junior pitcher Amanda Graziano (Riverhead/Riverhead) notched the win in the circle, throwing a two-hit shutout. She also struck out three. Rutcofsky shouldered the game-two loss, while junior pitcher Taylor Corwin permitted just two unearned runs off one hit in one inning of relief.