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St. Thomas Box Score

CLERMONT, Fla. – The State University of New York at New Paltz softball team (0-2) began its 2012 season with a pair of non-conference losses on Saturday at the NTC Spring Games, as the Hawks dropped a 10-6 decision to Ramapo College (3-0) before falling to the No. 25 University of St. Thomas (5-2), 3-2, in the nightcap.

Ramapo took advantage of four New Paltz miscues in game one en route to the 10-6 victory. The Hawks outhit the Roadrunners by an 11-8 margin, but five unearned runs ultimately doomed New Paltz in the loss.

Ramapo got on the board in the first, as a run scored on an error with two outs. The Roadrunners then broke the game open in the third, scoring six runs off four hits. They started the frame with back-to-back-to-back singles, and two runs came home due to a throwing error by the Hawk defense. Ramapo then turned to its baserunning, stealing three bags before the inning's end. After Krystal Kmiechick came across on a throw to second on an attempted steal, the Roadrunners swelled the score to 7-0.

New Paltz finally reached the run column in the third, as junior center fielder Andrea Feeney (Ulster Park, N.Y./Kingston) singled to center, stole second and third, and came home on a groundout. Ramapo, however, struck for three more in the fourth, as Danielle Rothenberger homered and two runs touched home due to a throwing error.

After retiring the side in order in the top of the fifth, the Hawk bats woke up, as they collected three runs off four hits and two errors in the home half of the inning. Freshman left fielder/right fielder Shayna Burgess (Smithtown, N.Y./Commack) tripled down the right-field line to begin the inning and ended up scoring on an error by the second baseman. Senior Shelby Martin (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) then doubled to right center before advancing to third on a bunt single by junior second baseman Melissa Liotta (Brentwood, N.Y./St. John the Baptist).

New Paltz pushed a pair of runs across in the sixth, as freshman shortstop Emily Mouillesseaux (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) ripped a two-out, RBI single to right field before Liotta plated Mouillesseaux in the ensuing at-bat. Neither team was able to score in the seventh, as Ramapo kept its perfect record unblemished.

Junior pitcher Alyssa Oliva (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) got the start in the circle for New Paltz and absorbed the loss, lasting 2 1/3 innings. She allowed six runs—three of which were earned—off six hits and two walks while striking out one. Freshman pitcher Erika Traina (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) tossed 1 1/3 innings in relief and yielded four runs—two of which were earned—off two hits and four walks, while junior pitcher Amber Carozza (Milton, N.Y./Marlboro) hurled 3 1/3 perfect innings and struck out five.

Nicole Schneider gained the win, going five innings in the circle for Ramapo. She scattered seven hits and permitted four runs—three of which were earned—off seven hits and one walk while striking out three. Harley Masiello gave up two runs off three hits with a strikeout in a full frame of duty in the sixth before Lauren Shaw gained her first save of the season, closing out the game in the seventh.

Offensively, Liotta led the way for New Paltz, going 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Senior third baseman Samantha Barra (Islip, N.Y./Islip) also had a multi-hit performance, batting 2-for-3 with two RBI. For Ramapo, Rothenberger was the only player to notch more than one hit, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Pitted against the 25th-ranked Tommies of St. Thomas in the nightcap, the Hawks held their own, registering three more hits than the perennial Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) championship contenders. Errors hurt both teams, as New Paltz allowed two unearned runs, while St. Thomas permitted one.

The Tommies scored the game's first run in the first inning, as Alyssa Dunrud reached on a throwing error and advanced to second on the error to lead off the frame. She then advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Genevieve Duffy plated her with a sacrifice fly. St. Thomas added one more in the third, as Dunrud once again reached on an error and then stole second. Kimmy Hassell drove her in during the ensuing at-bat off a double, but Carozza was able to force a groundout and record a strikeout to get out of the inning.

A potential game-deciding play occurred in the top half of the fourth inning with one out, as the Hawks were doubled up to end the stanza. Barra walked with one out, and she was replaced on the base paths by sophomore Emily Frawley (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains). Senior first baseman Cassie Barcavage (Cold Spring, N.Y./Haldane) reached on an error, which moved Frawley to second. Burgess then laced a single into right field, and Frawley took off for home. The right fielder found the first baseman, who then threw out Frawley at the plate. Meanwhile, Burgess took off for second, and the catcher threw an on-target throw to the shortstop after applying the tag at the plate. The shortstop tagged out Burgess, and the Tommies escaped thanks to an unorthodox 9-3-2-6 double play.

New Paltz erased St. Thomas' shutout bid in the fifth, as senior left fielder Kristen Schork (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) singled, and Liotta moved her to second by means of a sacrifice bunt. Feeney then doubled to bring in Schork, putting the Hawks on the board. However, Dunrud once again factored into scoring, as she singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth. She then stole second before moving to third off a sacrifice bunt. Emily Gregory plated Dunrud with a sacrifice fly, and the Tommies doubled their lead.

The Hawks had a chance to tie the game in the sixth, though, as two runners were on base when the inning ended. Freshman Juliette Verso (Commack, N.Y./Commack) scored the frame's lone run off a wild pitch. While both sides tried to find offense, pitching and defense took over in the bottom of the sixth and the top of the seventh. Neither team was able to alter the score, and St. Thomas locked up the win.

Carozza was saddled with the loss, lasting a full six innings and allowing three runs—one of which was earned—off four hits and a walk while striking out four. Her counterpart, Kristin Bigelbach, earned the victory, going a full seven innings and yielding two runs—one of which was earned—off seven hits, three walks and two hit-by-pitches. She also struck out six.

Freshman right fielder Marissa Monaco (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot) paced the Hawk attack with a 2-for-3 performance, while Bigelbach batted 2-for-3 for St. Thomas. Dunrud scored all three Tommie runs, doing so off a 1-for-3 day at the dish.

New Paltz continues play at the NTC Spring Games tomorrow, squaring off against the University of Wisconsin-Platteville at 9 a.m. before taking on Plymouth State University at 1 p.m.