The State University of New York at New Paltz softball team heads into its first road conference weekend of the season against Oswego State and SUNY Cortland Saturday and Sunday riding a four-game winning streak.
 
The Hawks have won five of their last six games including going 3-4 in its opening home State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) weekend March 29 and March 30 against SUNY Geneseo and The College at Brockport.
Freshman Katie Quagliana highlighted a series split against the Knights, throwing the program's sixth no-hitter to become just the third individual in program history to earn a no-hit bid following the 2-0 win. Although SUNY New Paltz dropped its second game against the defending champions, it went on to sweep the Golden Eagles for the second-straight year thanks to an eighth-inning walk-off by Quagliana and a 6-for-7 day at the plate by junior third baseman Meagan Blair in 4-3 and 7-4 wins, respectively.
 
"We are very confident," said Hawks junior first baseman Kelsey Trudden. "We've been playing really well, our pitchers have been doing great, as long as we keep the energy up and we keep hitting the ball and have better pitch selection we should do fine."  
 
SUNY New Paltz split with the Lakers last season, earning a 4-1 win in the first game, while dropping the second, 7-1 at Mary Gray Deanne Field. Oswego went on and earned a four-seed in last year's SUNYAC playoffs, seeing its 2018 campaign ending in the first round, falling to SUNY Oneonta and then eventual champion SUNY Geneseo.
 
This season the Lakers have opened up with a 5-11 overall record, but have yet to play a conference game, as their series against SUNY Potsdam and Plattsburgh State was postponed due to weather. They host SUNY New Paltz for their first SUNYAC action, trying to bounce back from a non-conference series loss on the road against Utica College. Senior catcher Emily Knowlden leads Oswego at the plate, batting .489 in 47 at-bats with a team-leading 23 hits and five doubles to go along with seven RBI's. Freshman Brianna Harrington is the Lakers' best arm, going 3-1 in five starts with a 2.91 ERA, giving up 41 hits and 11 earned runs with just two walks, but batters are hitting .291 against her.
 
Last year's SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year, Rebecca Vilchez has struggled this season, going 1-5 in her last nine starts, while having nearly a five ERA.
 
As a team, Oswego has averaged about four runs per game and has been shut out three times this season, while scoring two runs or less in seven games. Defensively, they have conceded nearly five runs against per game.
 
"Looking back at last season, we know they can hit well," Trudden said of the Lakers. "We just have to put pressure on their defense and hit just as well as they do. We know that they give up a lot of runs. We just have to keep the energy up and we should be able to take two."
 
SUNY Cortland, meanwhile, a 15-time SUNYAC Championship program, has had an uneven 2019 campaign, going 9-8 in its first 17 games, but is coming off a SUNYAC sweep over SUNY Potsdam. The Red Dragons run-ruled the Bears, 8-0 and 16-0 in five-innings to keep a perfect conference record heading into the weekend.
 
SUNY Cortland, which lost in the SUNYAC Championship game last season against the Knights, started the season by losing its first four games, but rebounded by going on a five-game winning streak. From there, the Red Dragons have gone 4-4 including losing both games on the road against Kean University prior to their series against SUNY Potsdam. They have yet to play a game at home and will start Saturday against SUNY Oneonta before hosting SUNY New Paltz Sunday.
"Cortland is a great program. They have been for a very long time… [but] I believe if you look at Cortland like they are on top of a pedestal it puts so much more pressure on playing them," Trudden said. "You just have to take every game one at time. You take Oswego first, we play them first and those games are just as important as the Cortland games, and then we go into Cortland, attack and play as best as we can."
 
Hannah Feldman leads a high-powered SUNY Cortland offense, batting .429 in 42 at-bats and 16 starts with 18 hits and 16 RBI's. As a team, the Red Dragons bat nearly .300, while opponents are averaging .251 against their arms.
 
Last year's First-Team All-SUNYAC selection Sam Van Dorn is SUNY Cortland's pitcher, but has started the year with a 3-5 record in the circle in eight starts. In a team-high 51.1 inning's pitched Van Dorn has accumulated a 2.45 ERA, throwing 27 strikeouts, while allowing 51 hits and 15 walks. Sophomore Cady Walts paces the team with a 6-2 overall record, throwing 47 innings and allowing 42 hits and 19 earned runs with 45 strikeouts.
 
"They have senior Sam Van Dorn who I have known for a long time. I played travel with her and she is a very strong pitcher," said Hawks senior catcher Madison Rappold. "She has a lot of movement. She can work the corners, but I think if we get on top of her early we can really put her out and we can put a lot of pressure on the Cortland pitching staff."

Ashley Puig currently leads SUNY New Paltz at the plate, batting .353 with a .931 on base percentage in 51 at-bats. Shannon Fee (.315) and Taylor LaFrance (.304) are also hitting over .300 on the year, while Trudden follows with a .286 batting average to go along with eight runs and 10 RBI's. Blair has had a hot bat as of late, as she is tied for second on the team, along with Truden with 10 RBI's. Quagliana leads the Hawks rotation and all of SUNYAC with eight wins on the season. She currently holds a team-best 2.25 ERA, while allowing 48 hits and just 14 earned runs with 18 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched. Second-year pitcher Emily Fox paces the team with 39 K's, while boasting a 2.77 ERA and a 4-2 record with the two combining for 11 complete games. Alyssa Pfitscher has also been solid in the 21.1 innings played, recording a 2.95 ERA, allowing 23 hits, seven earned runs and six walks with 11 strikeouts.
 
"To sweep both series would be amazing. Last year we didn't have that great of year. We didn't even make SUNYAC's, so I think it would really make a big statement for us to come out and have a perfect weekend," Rappold said. "I think we have the potential to do it, as long as we keep our energy and intensity high the whole game our defense has been playing great – stellar – and I think that is very important, and could lead us to a perfect weekend."
 
SUNY New Paltz is set to face Oswego State Saturday in a double-header starting at noon and then will take on SUNY Cortland Sunday for a double-header also slated for a noon start. The game against the Red Dragons was originally scheduled for Friday, but due to pending inclement weather was moved to Sunday at Dragon Field.

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