ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The Oneonta softball team kicked off SUNYAC play with a doubleheader sweep over Buffalo State, Friday afternoon at Red Dragon Softball Stadium. Game one was tied late before Oneonta rallied for four runs in the fifth inning for a 5-1 win, then the Red Dragons got out to an early lead in game two to defeat the Bengals, 7-5. The results improved Oneonta to 4-16 this season, 2-0 in the SUNYAC, and dropped Buffalo State to 10-6 overall, 0-2 in conference play.

Senior Jaime Cardello (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) led the way for the Red Dragons and finished the twin bill 5-for-7 with three RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Sophia Camacho (Newburgh, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) ended the day 4-for-8 with three runs scored and a stolen base. Both sophomore Kayla Kean (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Shenendehowa) and freshman Ella Kean (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa) went 2-for-5 in the doubleheader with two RBI.

Game One: Oneonta 5, Buff. St. 1
The game was scoreless until Oneonta got on the board in the bottom of the third inning. Camacho beat out the throw from shortstop for a one-out infield single. Junior Emily Brown (Westbury, NY/Clarke) then hit an infield single with two outs to short, and the shortstop overthrew the first baseman which allowed Camacho to cross home.

The Bengals tied the game in the top of the fifth off a wild pitch, however in the bottom half of the inning, the Red Dragons put together a four-run rally to take a 5-1 lead. With one out, Oneonta loaded the bases with three straight singles from Camacho, sophomore Tatum Passonno (Latham, N.Y./Shaker), and Brown. K. Kean then blasted a two-run double to the centerfield that brought in Camacho and Passonno. Cardello was up next, and she smacked an infield single that scored Brown, then she led off first base and forced the Bengals to throw to first which allowed sophomore pinch runner Riley McDonnell (Melville, N.Y./Walt Whitman) to cross home.

Buffalo State got a runner on base in the sixth and seventh innings, but Oneonta got out of both jams to hold onto the win.

Brown finished game one 3-for-3 with a run scored. Cardello went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while K. Kean ended 1-for-3 with two RBI. Camacho was 2-for-4 and scored twice.

Senior Anna Torgersen (Chester, NJ/Mendham) (3-6) earned the win after pitching 5.0 innings, striking out six batters, and allowing one run on two hits. Sophomore Tanner Smith (White Plains, N.Y./Vahalla) pitched the final 2.0 innings, struck out two, and only allowed a hit.

Izzy Pezdek (4-2) received the loss after pitching 5.0 innings, striking out four, and allowing five runs, four earned, on 10 hits.

Game Two: Oneonta 7, Buff. St. 5 
The Red Dragons recorded four runs with two outs in the first inning of game two to take a 4-0 lead. Camacho led the game off with a single to left field, then she scored on Cardello's single up the middle. Freshman Eva Blaney (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) hit a grounder to third, and the third baseman misthrew the ball which allowed Blaney to reach first, K. Kean to score, and Cardello to third. E. Kean roped a single to left field to bring in Cardello, before senior Abigail Silliman (Rensselaer, N.Y./Columbia) singled up the middle and scored Blaney.

In the third inning, Buffalo State scored three runs off two singles to get within one, however Oneonta answered with three runs in the bottom of the third to regain their four-run advantage, 7-3. E. Kean brought in freshman pinch runner Sara Kropp (Stony Brook, NY/Ward Melville) on a bases-loaded walk for the Red Dragons first run in the third. Silliman hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to allow Cardello to cross home, then freshman Kendall Ward (Manorville, NY/Eastport-South Manor) scored Blaney on a grounder.

The Bengals cut their deficit to 7-5 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Erin Paolilli hit an RBI double with one out, then Natalie Burck hit a grounder to bring in Pezdek. Buffalo State got the tying run on base in the sixth inning, but Smith got Oneonta out of the situation by striking out Mya Hurley. Smith and the Red Dragons closed out the game with a three-up, three-down seventh inning.

Cardello finished game two 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs. Camacho went 2-for-4 and scored a run, while E. Kean and Silliman each went 1-for-2 with two RBI.

Smith (1-3) received the win for Oneonta after pitching 4.1 innings, striking out one, and allowing two runs on four hits. Freshman Caitlin McTiernan (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) pitched the first 2.2 innings, struck out one, and allowed three runs on two hits.

Luacs Madison (2-2) was tagged with the loss after pitching 2.0 innings, striking out two, and allowing seven runs, four earned, on six hits.

Oneonta is back in action on Saturday, April 4, for a SUNYAC doubleheader against Fredonia starting at 12 pm.  Read Full Article