Box Score Cortland, NY — With two-outs, runners in scoring position and the game on the line in the bottom of the sixth inning Thursday, State University of New York at New Paltz coach Krysti Maronski called a timeout and pulled sophomore Ashley Puig aside right before she headed into the batter's box and asked a simple, but unexpected question: "What's your favorite food?"

The sidebar was all Puig needed to relax, not think about the high-stakes situation and come through for her team. She delivered on the very first pitch she saw , driving a hit to the right field gap, scoring three and ultimately giving the Hawks a 7-6 victory over SUNY Oneonta in the first round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) tournament. 
 
"I think in that moment with Ashley, I just wanted to come out and settle her," said Maronski. "She made an error, she struck out with some people on base earlier in the game and we just needed to clear her head. I tried to make her laugh a little bit and she came up and hit the first pitch, and that was exactly what we needed. I think we talk a lot about if we make a mistake, letting it go and having someone else will pick you up and have your back. I think today we just kept with it and it worked out."

No. 3 seeded SUNY New Paltz (26-10 overall, 12-6 SUNYAC) showed its resiliency all game long. Freshman ace Katie Quagliana had an uncharacteristically rough start, allowing the No. 4 seeded Red Dragons (16-20-1, 11-7) to jump ahead, 4-0 after the top of the first inning. The Hawks didn't let down at any point and never lost the belief they'd leave with anything but a win.

"At the end I told them we were not losing that game," Maronski said. "No matter if they scored runs, we stayed up. We were cheering for each other. We believed that we could win and when that is there, we're going to be able to do some good things."
 
Emily Fox stepped in the circle for Quagliana with two outs in the first inning and picked her up, getting out of a bases-loaded jam and registering the final out of the inning. The Hawks quickly responded in the bottom half, scoring three runs to get back into the game.
 
Julia DiSpigna got the offense started with a one-out base hit. She eventually scored after a wild pitch and two-straight errors by the Red Dragons to put the Hawks on the board. Kelsey Trudden trimmed the deficit for SUNY New Paltz, knocking a two-out two-RBI base hit up the middle to score Puig and Nina Simms.
 
Trudden then nearly tied the game up in the bottom of the fourth, smashing a ball that looked destined to leave the park, but instead hit off the left field wall for a lead-off double. Blair, despite falling in the count 0-2, followed with a single up the middle and advanced Trudden to third. On the very next pitch Shannon Fee hit a grounder up the middle through the pitchers legs for an RBI single and tied the game at four.
 
Fox had a 1-2-3 inning to start the fifth and the Hawks had a prime opportunity to regain the advantage in the bottom of the inning. DiSpigna worked back into the count at 2-2 and earned a lead off walk. Simms then ripped a shot to the first-base side that SUNY Oneonta couldn't handle, getting through and advancing DiSpigna to third. SUNY New Paltz couldn't capitalize, however, as Puig struck out in the following at-bat, Fox grounded out and Nikki Bowen got caught looking to end the threat.
 
Fox nearly left the top of the sixth unscathed, but with two strikes and two outs, the Red Dragons kept the inning alive with a base hit. They then laid down a bunt on the next pitch and an overthrow by Puig to first scored the go-ahead run. SUNY Oneonta tallied another before inning's end to re-take the lead at 6-4.
 
"After every error I try to… take off my glove and try to shake off the error out of my glove," Puig said. "It's just a mental thing that helps me out and that semi-helped. Just really thinking to myself that that was over and on to the new thing. On to hitting."

The Hawks didn't let SUNY Oneonta's advantage last long. With two outs on a 2-2 count, Quagliana started the rally with a single up the middle. DiSpigna then patiently took four-straight balls to add another runner on. Simms was next up at bat and struck another hard hit ball to first, which the Red Dragons muffed to load the bases for Puig, who didn't let the opportunity go to waste.
 
Puig, thinking of her favorite food — ice-cream — knocked the ball into the right center gap to clear the bases, scoring Nicole DePaola, DiSpigna and then Simms who slid right under the tag to push the score at 7-6 Hawks.
 
"So coach called timeout, she pulled me aside and asked me what my favorite food was, and I told her ice cream. I guess just to get me out of my head," Puig explained. "I just said ice cream, so that made me think of ice cream. She said if I get the hit I get ice cream later. Yeah, it definitely worked. I really like ice cream."
 
Fox shut the door in the top of the seventh, striking out the Red Dragons last batter to hold on to a 7-6 victory for SUNY New Paltz. Fox took the win after pitching 6.1 innings, giving up just six hits, no earned runs and one walk, while recording six strikeouts.
 
"Emily has done a great job for us all year," Maronski said. "I think in those situations when we really needed her to step up, whether it was losing game-one and winning game-two in the doubleheader she has done it for us. She has great composure, great confidence and her ball is moving. She did awesome today."
 
DiSpigna and Trudden led the Hawks offensively. DiSpigna went 2-for-2 with two runs and two walks, while Trudden also went 2-for-2 with a run, two RBIs and a walk.
 
"I think this shows as a team that we're relentless and that we never give up," Puig said. "That with our energy, positive attitudes then we're able to re-take any lead, and show that we're superior."
 
The Hawks are back in action Friday at SUNY Cortland, taking on defending champions and No. 2 seed SUNY Geneseo, which beat Oswego State, 5-0 Thursday. First pitch for SUNY New Paltz and Knights is scheduled for 11 a.m.

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