Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Troy, NY – The State University of New York at New Paltz softball team struggled at the plate Saturday against Catskill Cup rival SUNY Oneonta at Hudson Valley Community College. Despite its offensive struggles, the Hawks received two solid outings in the circle and defensively to earn a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) series split after winning game-one, 1-0 and dropping game-two, 3-1.

"We have been getting great pitching and overall good defense, which has kept us in games like today," said SUNY New Paltz coach Krysti Marnoski. "If we can start hitting the ball we are going to be a great team. Right now we have to rise to the challenge and put in the work to make that happen."
 Katie Quagliana delivered her fourth complete game shutout of the season in game-one to notch her 11th win of the season for the Hawks. She received the only run she needed to secure the victory in the top of the second inning. Nikki Bowen got things started with a lead-off walk. She reached second safely on a passed ball and was moved to third after a base hit by Nina Simms. Shannon Fee followed, putting the ball in play and forcing a fielding error to reach base safely and plating Bowen to record the game's first run. Three straight outs kept the damage to just one run for SUNY New Paltz, as the Red Dragons got out of the inning after stranding three runners on base.

Quagliana cruised through the next five innings and was backed up with some solid defense behind her. In the bottom half of the second inning, SUNY Oneonta threatened with a runner in scoring position after a lead-off base hit, which was followed by a successful sacrifice bunt. Quagliana forced a ground out on the ensuing at-bat and Madison Rappold closed out the inning, throwing out the Red Dragons' Amanda Sexton, who tried to steal second.

Sexton found herself in scoring position again in the bottom of the fifth, but again the Hawks defense came through. Quagliana forced another grounder to short and Taylor LaFrance did the rest, stepping on second and completing the throw to Kelsey Trudden to first for the double play to end the inning.

SUNY Oneonta had maybe its most prime opportunity to go ahead in the sixth, getting runners safely on second and third with no outs. The Hawks settled in, however, and closed out the inning without letting up a single run. Quagliana struck out Amber Badillo for the first out, Rappold then picked off another steal attempt for the second out and a groundout on the ensuing batter shut the door for the Red Dragons in the inning.

Quagliana gave up just seven hits and two walks, while striking out three in the win.

After registering just two hits in game-one, SUNY New Paltz registered a little bit more offense, but it wasn't enough to overcome an early 3-0 deficit.
  The Red Dragons took the lead in the bottom of the first inning of game-two after opening the inning with two-straight hits and eventually scored one on an obstruction call at the plate. Emily Fox, who earned the game-two start, got out the inning without giving up another run, forcing a fielder's choice and recording her first strikeout of the game to end the bottom half.

Sexton earned a free base in the following inning and Dana Del Genio followed up with a two-run home run to push SUNY Oneonta ahead, 3-0. That was all the offense the Red Dragons managed the rest of the day, however, as Fox buckled down to allow just three more hits the rest of the way.

SUNY New Paltz had the opportunity for a late rally in the top of the seventh. Michaela Damore was hit by a pitch to get on with no outs and was moved over to second after a wild pitch on the following at-bat. Julia DiSpigna earned a walk and Quagliana followed up with a single to center to load the bases with no outs. LaFrance brought Damore home on a RBI groundout, while also advancing Quagliana and DiSpigna. However, the threat ended there, as the Red Dragons forced an infield fly out and a groundout to solidify the 3-1 outcome.

Fox, despite taking the loss, threw a great game. In six innings pitched, the sophomore gave up just six hits, two earned runs and no walks, while striking out two.
Simms was the only Hawk to record more than two hits on the day, while Rappold, Trudden, Quagliana and DiSpigna all registered a base hit.

SUNY New Paltz is back in action Friday and Saturday to close out its regular season at Mary Gray Deanne Field. It is slated to take on SUNY Potsdam in a double-header Friday starting at 3 p.m. and then will conclude its home stand Saturday against Plattsburgh State starting at noon.

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