Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
New Paltz, NY – Facing a first-place team with the best ERA in the SUNYAC, the State University of New York at New Paltz softball team lost two tight contests against SUNY Geneseo on Monday afternoon at Mary Gray Deane Field. Although the games took place in New Paltz, the Hawks (13-18-1, 6-8 SUNYAC) served as the visiting team while the Knights (23-5, 12-2 SUNYAC) were the home team.

After giving up two runs on three hits in the first inning of the first game, SUNY New Paltz senior pitcher Lauren Cappello settled down to shut out Geneseo's offense for the remainder of the game. She only allowed four more hits and struck out two batters after the first inning.

The Hawks, after only managing one hit through the first four innings, finally got on the board in the top of the fifth. With runners on first and second and two out, junior second baseman Shannon Fee singled to center field to bring in a run and cut the Knights' lead to 2-1. Senior outfielder Taylor Leonette followed with a single through the left side to load the bases. Geneseo sophomore pitcher Ashlyn Kersch was then called in for relief and got the next batter looking on a called third strike to put an end to the rally.

SUNY New Paltz got a runner in scoring position in the sixth inning, but were unable to bring her home. Kersch set the Hawks down in order in the top of the seventh inning to secure the win and notch her first save of the season.

Leonette, Fee, senior outfielder Julia Perhacs and sophomore first baseman Kelsey Trudden each recorded one hit, while Cappello tossed all six innings and sustained the loss.

Sophomore pitcher Alyssa Pfitscher gave SUNY New Paltz another strong performance in the circle in the second game, scattering six hits across nine and two-third innings while striking out two. Unfortunately, Kersch was just as dominate after her strong relief outing in the first game, pitching 10 shutout innings, surrendering just four hits and recording five punch outs.

"Both Lauren and Alyssa did a fantastic job for us today," Hawks head coach Samantha Miller said. "Unfortunately, we were not able to get the timely hits we needed to give them run support."

Both teams had scoring opportunities throughout the game, as SUNY New Paltz had runners on second and third in the first inning with one out, a runner in scoring position in the fourth with one out, a leadoff double by Perhacs in the ninth and a runner on third with one out in the 10^th, but were unable to get any of them home. The Knights had runners on first and second in the first inning, a runner on third with one out in the third inning, a runner on second in the sixth and seventh innings and two runners on in the eighth, but Pfitscher worked out of each jam unscathed.

In the bottom of the 10^th with a runner on third and one out, Geneseo junior outfielder Alyssa Persich lofted a ball to center field that was deep enough to score the runner on third and give the Knights a 1-0, extra-inning victory.

Pfitscher sustained the tough-luck loss, while Perhacs accounted for half of her team's hits with a 2-for-4 performance. Fee and Pfitscher each registered one hit in the contest.
The Hawks will play the remainder of their regular season games on the road and next face SUNY Plattsburgh in a critical series with playoff implications. SUNY New Paltz and the Cardinals are tied for the sixth and final playoff spot in the SUNYAC standings with 12 points. Both teams split their regular season series last year at a neutral site.

"We're excited to get the opportunity to have one more weekend to leave it all on the field," Miller said. "We know we have to win as many of our remaining games as we can in order to make playoffs. But, I believe in them and they believe in themselves. We just have to get out all of the kinks before we can get into the tournament."

Be sure to follow @nphawks on Twitter and @newpaltzhawks on Instagram and Facebook for updates, highlights, videos, photos and more.