A Quick Look
The SUNY Oneonta softball team went on the road today and picked up a pair of wins at New Paltz.  The Red Dragons came from behind to win game 1, 8-5, before holding back a late rally in game 2 to win 4-3.  The two wins for Oneonta raised its overall record to 6-2 while New Paltz falls to 1-5 overall.
 
The Inside Story
In the opener, a pair of four-run innings allowed Oneonta to overcome 2-0 and 5-4 deficits late.  The Red Dragons trailed 2-0 before posting four runs in the fifth inning and scored four more runs in the seventh to erase a 5-4 deficit.
 
In the fifth, seniors Caroline Koch (New City/Clarkstown South) and Amber Badillo (Mohegan Lake/Shrub Oak), junior Megan Palmatier (Bainbridge/Bainbridge-Guilford) and sophomore Gianna DiGiovanni (Wantagh/Sacred Heart Academy) each drove in a run.  DiGiovanni's RBI double knocked in pinch runner Gianna Cancelleri (Campbell Hall/Washingtonville) to cap the scoring.  Oneonta recorded three infield hits in the inning.
 
In the seventh, Oneonta took advantage of three New Paltz errors that led to four unearned runs.  DiGiovanni ripped another double to drive in a pair of runs while Anna Ciccarelli (Guilderland/Guilderland) drove in two runs.
 
Dionisio entered the game with one out in the bottom of the fifth and finished the game allowing one hit in 2-2/3^rd innings.
 
Game 2 was shortened to five innings due to darkness.  Dionisio recorded the victory and junior Kathryn Davies (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional) recorded the final out for her first save of the season.
 
Oneonta got started early plating two runs in the first inning.  Freshman Delaney Haley (Levittown/Division Avenue) was hit by a pitch with one out, then stole second before advancing to third on an error by the second baseman that allowed Koch to reach.  Koch then stole second base and both she and Haley scored on an RBI single from Badillo.
 
Badillo drove in Koch in the third inning to push Oneonta's advantage to 3-0.  A passed ball in the fourth allowed freshman Aysia Oliver (Brentwood/Brentwood) to score the fourth run for the Red Dragons.
 
The Hawks rallied in the bottom of the fifth pulling to within one run until Davies retired the only batter she faced.  New Paltz loaded the bases with no outs on three straight singles and scored its first run when Dionisio hit a batter.  A fielding error and a ground out brought home the final two runs of the inning.
 
What's Next
Oneonta will play a home doubleheader this Sunday, Apr. 18 versus Plattsburgh beginning at 2pm.