A Quick Look
Opening day at home for the SUNY Oneonta softball team ended in dramatic fashion, as freshman Julia Serena (White Plains/Valhalla) ended game 2 with a walk-off grand slam to give Oneonta a 10-1 win in six innings.  The slam for Serena is the first of her collegiate career and her fourth dinger of her rookie season.
 
Today's doubleheader also marked the first games on the brand-new turf field that was recently completed.  In addition to the surface, the project included pitching and batting areas along both foul lines and a new batting cage out beyond the outfield fence that is in the process of being built.
 
The Inside Story
Game 2 – Oneonta 10, Rensselaer 1 (6 innings)
 
Oneonta held a 2-1 lead entering the home half of the sixth before exploding for eight runs.  In addition to Serena's home run, senior Caroline Koch (New City/Clarkstown South) hit a two-run shot earlier in the inning that brought home sophomore Aysia Oliver (Brentwood/Brentwood) giving the Red Dragons a 6-1 lead.
 
Back-to-back singles by sophomore Gianna Cancelleri (Naples, FL/Washingtonville (NY)) and junior Marissa Nagel (Averill Park/Averill Park) and a walk to senior Megan Palmatier (Bainbridge/Bainbridge-Guilford) loaded the bases for Serena with one out.  Serena parked her shot over the fence in left-center.
 
The first run of the sixth inning came via back-to-back doubles down the left field line by sophomore Victoria Hussey (Nesconset/Smithtown East) and freshman Sophia Mangone (Ardsley/Ardsley).  Mangone scored on a fielding error by the second baseman.
 
Freshman Angelina Scalere (Ardsley/Ardsley) picked up her second win of the season in relief of classmate Cadence Brennan (Niskayuna/Niskayuna).  Scalere pitched two scoreless innings allowing no hits.
 
Game 1 – Rensselaer 8, Oneonta 3
 
Rensselaer (6-8) broke open an otherwise tight game with four runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh in breaking up a 2-2 tie game.
 
In the sixth, the visitors loaded the bases with no outs, but it looked Oneonta would get out of the inning unscathed before a double by Erin Askins knocked in a pair giving the Engineers a 5-2 lead.  The next batter was Gabby Comeau and she hit a sharp single up the middle scoring Askins to make the score 6-2.
 
Oneonta got one back in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Palmatier, but that would be the end of the scoring for the Red Dragons.
 
Just the Stats
Oneonta collected nine extra-base hits in today's twinbill including three home runs, one triple and five doubles.  Palmatier led the way hitting for the cycle over both games.  Palmatier and Koch each drove in three runs today while Serena had four with one swing of the bat.
 
What's Next
Oneonta is scheduled to play at Ithaca College on Sunday weather permitting at 1pm.
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