Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz softball team dropped both ends of a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader to The College at Brockport on Saturday afternoon at Mary Gray Deane Field, falling by scores of 8-1 and 5-0 in games one and two, respectively.

The setbacks eliminated the Hawks from SUNYAC Tournament contention in a year that saw seven teams post a conference record of .500 or higher. It took 10 wins to qualify for the tournament in 2015, as SUNY Fredonia is the No. 6 seed at the moment with a record of 10-8.

New Paltz drops to 17-16 overall (9-9 SUNYAC) with the losses and looks to end its season on a positive note on Monday, April 27, when it hosts Brooklyn College in a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader. Brockport rises to 18-15 overall (10-7 SUNYAC) with the wins and finishes up its conference schedule tomorrow at 11 a.m. with a single make-up game at SUNY Oneonta. Saturday's victories ensured a playoff berth for the Golden Eagles, as they can finish no worse than the No. 5 seed.

Brockport 8, New Paltz 1

A five-run fifth inning ultimately proved to be the difference in game one, as the Golden Eagles rapped out 12 hits and took advantage of four New Paltz errors.

Brockport got on the board in the top of the first, receiving a sacrifice fly from senior second baseman Erika Lazzaro to hop out to a 1-0 lead. After three-and-a-half scoreless innings, the Golden Eagles scored five runs in the fifth, only one of which was earned.

Junior designated player Nicole DeCosta (Stormville, N.Y./John Jay-East Fishkill) erased the shutout bid in the fifth, driving home junior left fielder Fallon Spriggs (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) with a double to left center. Brockport ended up scoring the final two runs of the game in the seventh on a throwing error.

Sophomore shortstop Kiersten Carlomagno (Commack, N.Y./Commack) and freshman first baseman Lauren Cappello (New City, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) paced the New Paltz bats by going 2-for-4 and 2-for-3, respectively, while DeCosta drove in the Hawks' only run. Freshman catcher Karleigh Eaton led Brockport by going 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run scored and a double.

Junior pitcher Katie Rutcofsky (Plainview, N.Y./Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy) and sophomore pitcher Taylor Corwin (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) combined to give up eight runs (two earned) off 12 hits, three hit by pitches and a walk while striking out one for the Hawks, while Brockport's junior pitcher Korey Kibling earned the victory in the circle, scattering eight hits and allowing one run in seven innings of work.

Brockport 5, New Paltz 0

The Golden Eagles scored all of their runs across two innings in the nightcap, and junior pitcher Jaime Berger twirled a gem in the circle to lock up Brockport's spot in the SUNYAC Tournament.

Brockport broke through in the third inning, with senior center fielder Brianna Ferchen and junior left fielder Brianna Harris knocking out back-to-back RBI base hits to give the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead. They wound up scoring three more runs in the sixth, as senior first baseman Kelly Proper pushed across a run on an RBI double before Eaton scored two with a double through the left side.

Carlomagno and senior catcher Shayna Burgess (Smithtown, N.Y./Commack) each notched a hit for the Hawks, while Ferchen and Proper both batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Golden Eagles.

Berger's stat line in the win included five strikeouts and just two hits allowed, though Burgess did absorb two hit by pitches. Two Hawk pitchers combined to yield five runs (two earned) off eight hits and three walks in the loss.