NEW PALTZ, N.Y. -- The Oneonta softball team fell in both games of their final regular season doubleheader at New Paltz, Friday afternoon. New Paltz took game one, 3-0, before securing game two, 7-1. The Red Dragons end the regular season with an overall record of 13-25, 11-7 in the SUNYAC, and the Hawks capped off the regular season 30-8 overall and 17-1 in conference play.
Senior
Jaime Cardello (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) finished the day 2-for-6, going 1-for-3 in each game. Senior
Abigail Silliman (Rensselaer, N.Y./Columbia) went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in the doubleheader, while sophomore
Tatum Passonno (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) went 2-for-4 in game two.
Game One: Oneonta 0, New Paltz 3
New Paltz's first run came in the bottom of the first inning off an RBI single from Ella Sharrock. The Hawks were threatening to score more runs with the bases loaded and one out, but senior
Anna Torgersen (Chester, NJ/Mendham) struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
In the top of the third, New Paltz extended their lead to 3-0 with two more runs. Sharrock hit a one-out RBI double, then she scored off a single from Lauren Serrao.
Freshman
Ella Kean (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa) recorded the first hit for the Red Dragons with a leadoff single to center field in the top of the fifth inning. Unfortunately, Kean was unable to get into scoring position as the Hawks tallied three straight outs.
Silliman led off the sixth inning with a walk to get a runner on for Oneonta, however New Paltz struck out the next three batters to end the inning.
Down to their final out, Cardello got on base in the seventh inning with a single to left field, but the Hawks ended the game on the next at-bat.
Kean and Cardello both finished the game 1-for-3.
Torgersen (7-10) pitched the complete game for the Red Dragons, struck out three and allowed three runs on six hits.
Alex Frenza pitched the full 7.0 innings for the Hawks, struck out 14, and allowed two hits. Sharrock finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Serrao went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Former Oneonta shortstop
Ava Thys (Fairfax, Va./James W. Robinson Secondary (Va.)) went 2-for-4.
Game Two: Oneonta 1, New Paltz 7
Thys brought in the first run of game two with an RBI single in the bottom of the third inning.
Oneonta had runners in scoring position in the first three innings but came up empty each time. In the top of the sixth, the Red Dragons crossed home and tied the game at one. Senior
Emily Brown (Westbury, NY/Clarke) smacked a single to center field to lead off the sixth, as sophomore
Anna Spicciatie (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) came in to pinch run for Brown. After Spicciatie advanced to second on a ground out, she moved to third off a single to left field from Cardello. Next up was Silliman, who laid down a bunt on the first pitch she saw and scored Spicciatie, while she reached first.
With two runners on New Paltz recorded the next two outs before Oneonta could take the lead, then the Hawks broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth with six runs to go up 7-1. Sharrock hit a two-run home run, and Mallory Rohon followed with a solo shot. Kaitlyn Gordon recorded an RBI double, and after the Hawks scored on a wild pitch, Gordon crossed home on a single by Thys.
Passonno finished the game 2-for-4. Brown, Cardello, Silliman, and sophomore
Kayla Kean (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Shenendehowa) all went 1-for-3.
Freshman
Caitlin McTiernan (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) (3-9) was tagged with the loss after pitching 5.1 innings, striking out five batters, and allowing five runs on six hits. Sophomore
Tanner Smith (White Plains, N.Y./Vahalla) pitched 0.1 innings and allowed two runs on two hits, and Torgersen pitched 0.1 innings and struck out one.
Frenza (14-5) got the win after pitching 1.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Morgan Smith pitched 5.1 innings, struck out four, and allowed one run on five hits. Thys went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Sharrock was 1-for-3 with two RBI.
The Red Dragons clinched a spot in the SUNYAC tournament, which starts on Thursday, May 9. Oneonta's first round single-elimination opponent is still to be determined. It can be Fredonia, Buffalo State, Oswego, or Cortland. New Paltz has secured the one seed and will be the host site for the conference tournament.
