TROY, N.Y. -- The Oneonta softball team dropped a pair of close games in their road doubleheader against Rensselaer, Thursday afternoon. Oneonta held the lead throughout game one until RPI scored two in the final inning to win 2-1, then the Engineers built an early edge to take game two 4-2. Senior
Julia Serena (White Plains, N.Y./Valhalla) finished the day 4-for-6 with a double and scored two runs, while junior
Jaime Cardello (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) and sophomore
Ava Thys (Fairfax, Va./James W. Robinson Secondary (Va.)) each recorded an RBI. The results moved the Red Dragons to 5-9 overall and the Engineers to 14-4 this season.
Game One: Oneonta 1, RPI 2
Serena led the game off with a first-pitch double that bounced past the right fielder to the fence. She advanced to third on an error by the right fielder. One out later, Cardello brought Serena home on an infield grounder.
The Red Dragons weathered a couple Engineer storms in the bottom of the second and fifth innings. RPI loaded the bases with one out in the second, but Oneonta got out of the jam with a fielder's choice throw to home and a fly out to right. The Engineers had two runners with one out in the fifth, then the Red Dragons forced a fly out and a groundout to keep a 1-0 lead.
RPI had a leadoff double in the seventh, then tied the game off a triple by Ryleigh Falvey with one out. After working a walk to get runners on the corners, the Engineers hit a grounder to second that gave enough time for Falvey to score the game-winning run.
Serena and Cardello each went 1-for-3, and freshman
Sophia Camacho (Newburgh, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) was 1-for-2 with an infield single in the third. Sophomore
Emily Brown (Westbury, N.Y./Clarke) (3-4) was tagged with the loss as she pitched the complete game, struck out five batters, and allowed two runs on five hits.
Ava Markert (6-2) received the win for RPI after pitching the complete game with six strikeouts and allowed one run.
Game Two: Oneonta 2, RPI 4
The Engineers took a 3-0 lead with a couple RBI doubles in the first and fourth innings, and an RBI single in the second.
The Red Dragons made it a 3-2 game with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. Serena ripped a single to left field with one out and crossed home when Thys blasted a double to left center. Thys extended the hit and made it to third as she slid underneath the third baseman's tag. The sophomore scored on a throwing error during Cardello's at-bat while Cardello reached second, however Oneonta could not record the game-tying run.
RPI scored the final run in the bottom of the fifth off a fielder's choice. Oneonta got lead off runners on base in the sixth and seventh innings but were unable to get them home.
Serena went 3-for-3 with a walk and scored a run. Freshman
Anna Spicciatie (Oakdale, N.Y.) finished 2-for-3, and Thys was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Freshman
Tanner Smith (White Plains, N.Y./Vahalla) (1-1) was tagged with the loss after she pitched 3.2 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. Senior
Angelina Scalere (Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley) pitched 2.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits.
Gaby Heim got the win for RPI as she pitched the complete game with seven strikeouts and allowed two runs on seven hits.
Oneonta is back in action on Saturday, March 29, for the home opening doubleheader against Ithaca starting at 1 pm at the Red Dragon Softball Field.
