Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The bats returned to life for the State University of New York at New Paltz softball team (11-9, 3-3 SUNYAC), as the Hawks swept SUNY Potsdam (7-13, 0-6) in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Mary Gray Deane Field. New Paltz won game one, 5-3, before prevailing, 13-10, in the nightcap.

Game one appeared to be all New Paltz's until the bottom of the seventh when Potsdam rallied for three runs off five hits, but Heather Johnson flied out to right with two runners on for the third out to end the game.

Senior center fielder/pitcher Jillian Gallagher (Buchanan, N.Y.) scored off an RBI single by freshman second baseman Chelsea Kull (Manorville, N.Y.) in the first inning, breaking up a three-game streak during which the Hawks were held scoreless against conference teams.

A Gallagher triple plated junior left fielder/center fielder Kristen Schork (Warwick, N.Y.) in the second, and Gallagher scored on a wild pitch to put the Hawks out in front, 3-0.

Schork and Collazo scored in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, to give the Hawks a comfortable 5-0 lead. Amanda Perry, Brittany Pawlowski and Heidi Grebinger all singled in sequence to lead off the seventh for Potsdam, putting New Paltz in an uncomfortable spot. The Hawk defense and pitching, however, fared well enough to keep the Bears from plating the equalizer.

Senior pitcher Courtney Costello (Bayport, N.Y.) got the win in the circle for New Paltz in the front end of the twinbill, working a full seven innings. During her outing, she gave up three runs on nine hits and struck out four. Ashley Thayer threw 5 2/3 innings for the Bears and was tagged with the loss, yielding five runs on 10 hits and four walks. Thayer also fanned four batters to match Costello's total.

Offensively for the Hawks, junior third baseman Samantha Barra (Islip, N.Y.) went 3-for-4, while Gallagher went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Kull also had a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 at the dish with an RBI. For Potsdam, Jenn Jones and Allison Breivogel each went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

The back end of the twinbill featured a wild array of baserunning and defensive miscues, and New Paltz was able to capitalize, outscoring Potsdam despite being outhit, 16-13.

Junior first baseman Cassie Barcavage (Cold Spring, N.Y.) had a bases-clearing double in the first to put the Hawks on top, 4-0, but Potsdam leveled the score in the top half of the second at 4-all. Due in part to two errors, the Hawks pushed the lead back out to four in the second, making it an 8-4 game.

Gallagher's base running led to a run in the third, and junior shortstop Shelby Martin (New Paltz, N.Y.) brought in Barcavage in the fourth. However, Potsdam plated three runs in the top of the fourth, and following Barcavage's run, the score stood at 10-7 in favor of the home team.

Martin swatted a two-run triple in the sixth, which bolstered a three-run frame for New Paltz. Down six, Potsdam rallied once more in the top of the seventh. The Bears plated three runs off three hits, and the tying run at the plate with two outs wound up popping up to the shortstop, giving the Hawks the series sweep.

Freshman left fielder/pitcher Emily Collazo (East Meadow, N.Y.) gained the win for New Paltz in the circle, working 3 2/3 innings in relief. She gave up three runs off six hits and two walks and also struck out one. Gallagher struggled, yielding four runs off four hits and two walks in 1 2/3 frames of duty. Sophomore pitcher Gillian Davidoff (Oceanside, N.Y.) took over and also threw 1 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs off six hits.

Potsdam's Brittany Pawlowski was handed the loss, accounting for eight runs—six of which were earned—off five hits in one inning of work. She faced five batters in the second before being pulled in favor of Katie Nawrot. Nawrot scattered six hits and yielded three runs, two of which were earned. Meaghan Patterson hurled the final inning for the Bears, giving up two runs—one of which was earned—off two hits.

Barcavage's bat was hot, going 4-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored to pace the Hawk attack. Gallagher went 2-for-5 with three runs scored and three stolen bases, while Martin batted 2-for-4 with one run scored and three RBI. For Potsdam, Dana Vollmuth led the way, going 4-for-5 with one run scored and two RBI. Thayer went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, and Breivogel batted 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.

New Paltz looks to topple SUNY Cortland on Tuesday, April 12, in Cortland, N.Y., facing the Red Dragons in a 3 p.m. conference doubleheader.