MORRISVILLE, N.Y. -- The Oneonta softball team's offense was firing on all cylinders in their road doubleheader against Morrisville, combining for 28 runs and 26 hits in both games as they swept the Mustangs, Saturday afternoon. The Red Dragons scored most of their runs of game one in the back half to win 10-6, then they had 11 different players record a hit as they beat the Mustangs in five innings, 18-2, in game two. The pair of wins improved Oneonta to 8-20 this season, 6-2 in the SUNYAC, and dropped Morrisville to 2-17 overall, 1-7 in conference play. 

Freshman Eva Blaney (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) bashed her first career home run in game two and finished the doubleheader 4-for-9 with six RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases. Freshman Ella Kean (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa) belted her second career home run in game one and ended the day 3-for-7 with seven RBI and scored four runs. Junior Emily Brown (Westbury, NY/Clarke) finished the day 5-for-6 with two RBI and two runs, and senior Jaime Cardello (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) went 3-for-6 with two RBI, three runs, and a stolen base. Sophomore Bridget Barry (East Patchogue, N.Y.) picked up her first collegiate win in the circle in game one. 

Game One: Oneonta 10, Morrisville 6
Oneonta scored the first run of game one with a quick two-out rally. After Brown hit an infield single, sophomore Kayla Kean (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Shenendehowa) worked a walk to get two runners on. Cardello was next up, and she singled up the middle to score Brown.

Morrisville took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning after tying the game on a single and taking the edge on a groundout.

The Red Dragons regained the lead for good with five runs in the fourth inning. Cardello led the inning off with a walk, then E. Kean roped an RBI triple on a 0-2 count to right field. Kean crossed home while Blaney reached first on a Mustangs error. Blaney stole second and third base before sliding safely into home as Spicciatie laid down a bunt to reach first. Freshman Kendall Ward (Manorville, NY/Eastport-South Manor) smacked the ball over the left fielder's head for an RBI-double, scoring Spicciatie, then senior Abigail Silliman (Rensselaer, N.Y./Columbia) capped off the rally with a grounder that brought in Ward for Oneonta's 6-2 lead.

In the top of the fifth, E. Kean blasted her second career home run over the right field fence to put the Red Dragons up five. In the bottom half of the fifth, the Mustangs scored four runs off three singles to cut their deficit to one, 7-6.

Oneonta capitalized on a few Morrisville errors in the top of the seventh inning and added three insurance runs to their lead for the 10-6 final.

E. Kean finished game one 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, and three RBI, while Brown finished game one 3-for-4. Cardello, Spicciatie, and Ward all went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Barry (1-1) received the win after pitching 2.1 innings, allowing four runs, two earned, on three hits. Senior Anna Torgersen (Chester, NJ/Mendham) started the first 2.1 innings, struck out two, and allowed two runs on three hits. Freshman Caitlin McTiernan (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) (3) picked up the save, pitching the final 2.1 innings, striking out two, and allowing only one hit.

Game Two: Oneonta 18, Morrisville 2 (5 Innings)
Blaney recorded her first career home run in the top of the first inning of game two. The freshman Red Dragon connected on a pitch up high and blasted the ball over the left field fence to put Oneonta up 1-0.

Morrisville tied the game in the bottom half of the first off a wild pitch.

The Red Dragons pulled away from the Mustangs with a two-out, four-run rally in the second inning for a 5-1 advantage. Sophomore Tatum Passonno (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) smacked the ball over the pitcher's head and up the middle for a single to lead it off, then Spicciatie worked a walk to get two runners on. After the two Red Dragons advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, Blaney came up and brought both home with a two-run double to center field. Silliman got hit by a pitch, then her and Blaney moved to second and third on a passed ball, which set up Brown to hit a two-run double to left field for the four-run lead.

In the top of the third, Cardello got to first on a bunt and later stole second base. One out later, sophomore Emma Moore (Walden, N.Y./Valley Central) hit an infield grounder and scored Cardello for a 6-1 edge. In the bottom of the third, Morrisville made it a 6-2 game with an RBI single up the middle.

Oneonta extended their margin to 12-2 with six runs in the fifth inning. Cardello blooped a single to right field that scored Silliman. E. Kean smacked a single through the right side that brought in Brown and K. Kean, then the Morrisville right fielder had a throwing error that allowed Cardello to cross home and E. Kean to reach third.

Freshman Rylee McGinness (East Quogue, NY/Westhampton Beach) hit the ball towards the pitcher, and the pitcher worked E. Kean back to third and threw it to the third baseman. Meanwhile, McGinness ran towards second base and forced the third baseman to commit a throwing error, allowing E. Kean to cross home and McGinness to get to third. McGinness touched home and gave the Red Dragons a 10-run lead when the first baseman had a fielding error during Passonno's at-bat.

The Red Dragons added another six runs to their lead in the fifth inning for the 18-2 final. McTiernan recorded her first collegiate hit with a single past the pitcher and into center field to start the rally. Barry dropped a double into right center for her first hit of the season, then Ward roped a single to center and brought in McTiernan. E. Kean put the Red Dragons up 12 with a sacrifice fly to left that scored Barry. Blaney smacked a two-run double to center field and scored McGinness and Ward, then Silliman followed Blaney with a two-run bloop single to shallow left field for the final runs of the game.

Sophomore Tanner Smith (White Plains, N.Y./Vahalla) pitched the final two innings for Oneonta, struck out four batters including the final batter of the game, and only allowed one hit. Torgersen (5-7) received the win after starting the first 3.0 innings of the game, struck out three, and allowed two runs on five hits.

Oneonta had 11 different players record a hit and nine players total an RBI. Blaney finished game two 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, five RBI, and scored three runs, and Brown went 2-for-2 with two doubles and two RBI. Silliman was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs, while both Cardello and Passonno ended 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. E. Kean was 1-for-3 with four RBI.

The Red Dragons are back on the road for their next SUNYAC doubleheader on Friday, April 17, against Potsdam starting at 3 pm.  Read Full Article