Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Cortland, NY — Trailing by just a run for most of game one Sunday, the State University of New York at New Paltz softball team battled back late to tie the score and force extra innings against State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) powerhouse SUNY Cortland.
 
The Red Dragons had one of the conference's best pitchers starting in the circle in First-Team All-SUNYAC selection Sam Van Dorn, who gave up just eight hits through 8.2 innings. However, the Hawks settled in down the stretch, scoring the game-tying run in the sixth and then breaking the game open with three more in the top of the ninth inning to claim the, 4-1 win. 
 "Today was a really good day," said SUNY New Paltz coach Krysti Maronski. "In the first game we got great pitching from Katie [Quagliana] and good defense to back her up. We were hitting the ball hard and were finally able to come up with the clutch hits from multiple people in the last inning, which was great to see."
 
It was just the sixth win for the Hawks over SUNY Cortland and first since 2017. Unfortunately, SUNY New Paltz came up short to earn its first series sweep over the Red Dragons since 1994, losing game two in a tight, 2-0 contest.
 
Katie Quagliana got the nod in the circle for SUNY New Paltz to start the series, giving up her lone run in the first inning. SUNY Cortland got off to a hot start opening up with a single and a walk before driving in a run on a fielder's choice. Quagliana then stranded runners on second and third, forcing a ground out to get out of the inning, holding the deficit to just one.
 
Quagliana was lights out the rest of the way, giving up just five hits in the following eight innings with two walks. She earned some run support in the sixth inning, as Celia Santini started the rally for SUNY New Paltz, leading off with a pinch-hit single to right, advancing to third after a fielding error. Julia DiSpigna came in to pinch run and a batter later Taylor LaFrance came up to bat with the opportunity to tie the game with one out. LaFrance was patient, waited for her pinch and rocked a liner up the middle to score DiSpigna and ultimately force the game into extras.
 
Each team had a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, while the Hawks stranded a runner on first in the eighth. SUNY Cortland placed a runner on in the bottom of the inning on a two-out walk, but Madison Rappold made sure to put an end to that threat. She threw a laser to LaFrance for the tag on a steal attempt to close out the eighth inning, pulling all the energy back toward SUNY New Paltz.
 
"Getting the out in the eighth was a big momentum boost for us going into the ninth and we really had the energy going," Maronski said.
 
Ashley Puig made sure to take advantage of the momentum for the Hawks, as she started the inning with a lead-off double to center field. Meagan Blair moved Puig over to second on a sacrifice bunt, leaving the go-ahead hit to freshman Nikki Bowen. The moment wasn't too big for Bowen, as she struck an RBI single up the middle to score Puig and give SUNY New Paltz the lead.
 
The Hawks added on from there. Katie Conrad, pinch running for Bowen, was brought home after an RBI groundout by Kelsey Trudden. Nina Simms then broke the game open, striking an RBI double to right center to bring home Fee and push SUNY New Paltz's lead, 4-1.
 
Quagliana then made quick work of the bottom of the ninth, forcing a ground out and then a double play to close in on her ninth win of the season. She gave up just seven hits and three walks with a strikeout, while pitching all nine innings.
 
After the exciting extra-inning win, the Hawks couldn't double-down and take the second game of the double-header. Cady Walts had an impressive outing for the Red Dragons, giving up just one hit with 13 strikeouts in the complete game shutout. Blair registered the only hit for SUNY New Paltz, while LaFrance was the only other Hawks runner to reach base, earning a walk.
 
Emily Fox threw all six innings for SUNY New Paltz, giving up just four hits and one earned run with three strikeouts.
 
"In game two the pitcher did a really good job of moving the ball and we just couldn't get anything going," Maronski said.
 
With the series split, SUNY New Paltz currently sits third in the conference standings just behind SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Cortland — two teams who fought in last year's SUNYAC Championship — with the Hawks already splitting both those series.
 
"Getting the split today was very important for us moving forward," Maronski said. "Every game counts and coming out of today with a big win like that is very important for us."

SUNY New Paltz is back home Tuesday for a non-conference double-header against Purchase College at Mary Gray Deanne Field before going back into SUNYAC play on the road Saturday against SUNY Oneonta.

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