A Quick Look
The SUNY Oneonta softball team came up short today in the SUNYAC tournament semifinals at Geneseo.  The Red Dragons were on the short end of a pair of one-run losses, 7-6 and 2-1 including an one in extra innings.  The 2021 season for Oneonta has finished with an overall record of 9-7.
 
The Inside Story
Oneonta scored the game's first run in the top of the third inning when freshman Victoria Hussey (Nesconset/Smithtown East) hit an RBI single to right field to score sophomore Gianna DiGiovanni (Wantagh/Sacred Heart Academy) from third base.  DiGiovanni led off the inning with a single , advanced to second base on a walk to freshman Delaney Haley (Levittown/Division Avenue).  The two runners were then moved over on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Marissa Nagel (Averill Park/Averill Park).
 
Geneseo came back in the bottom of the third and went ahead after scoring three runs of their own.  The big hit in the inning was a two-out single by catcher Katherine Hayes that drove in two runs.
 
Geneseo tacked on three more runs in the home half of the fifth inning on the strength of a three-run home run to right field by sophomore Anna Johnston.
 
The Red Dragons did not quit tying the score in the top of the sixth with a five-spot.  Freshman Aysia Oliver (Brentwood/Brentwood) and senior Caroline Koch (New City/Clarkstown South) hit back-to-back singles to start the inning.  Oliver was put out on a force at third, which allowed junior Megan Palmatier (Bainbridge/Bainbridge-Guilford) to reach first giving Oneonta runners at first and second.  Senior Meaghan Raleigh (Endwell/Maine Endwell) then smacked a double to left field to drive in both Koch and Palmatier.  Raleigh came around to score the third run of the inning on back-to-back wild pitches.
 
The next batter was senior Amber Badillo (Mohegan Lake/Shrub Oak), who doubled to right field.  Freshman Sara Cartier (Cicero/Cicero-North Syracuse) pinch ran for Badillo and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  After a walk to DiGiovanni, Cartier scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Anna Ciccarelli (Guilderland/Guilderland).  DiGiovanni then came around to score on a two-out triple to right field by Nagel.
 
The game ended in the bottom of the eighth inning when junior Taylor Riccardi singled home sophomore Leah VanDerwarker with the game's winning run.
 
Game 2 was a pitcher's duel between Oneonta senior Hunter VanArnum (Schuylerville/Schuylerville) and Geneseo freshman Lauren Kersch.  In the end, it was Kersch who earned the victory for the Knights, who won 2-1.
 
Geneseo posted single runs in the first and fourth innings.  Riccardi figured in both runs, driving in the first run and scoring the eventual game-winner.
 
Oneonta's lone run came in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Raleigh that drove in Koch.
 
Just the Stats
Oneonta collected 10 hits in game 1 including two each from Oliver, Raleigh and Badillo.  Geneseo recorded 11 hits in the opener led by a three-hit game for Riccardi.
 
Three Oneonta pitchers combined to strikeout six Knights led by freshman Lauren Weber (Sayville/Sayville) who recorded four.  Classmate Marissa Dionisio (Sayville/Sayville) took the loss after entering the game in the seventh inning.