FARMINGDALE, NY – The State University of New York at New Paltz softball team didn't generate enough offense in a road double-header Friday at Farmingdale State College, losing 6-1 and 5-2 against stern pitching from the Rams. 
 
Both Allie Stanya and Ava Shorr pitched complete games for the home team, and Brooke Walker hit a solo home run that energized Farmingdale State in the second half of the double dip. Over the two contests, the Hawks tallied 16 hits, eight in each game, but only managed three runs. 
 
Game number one was a battle of two very good pitchers with the Hawks' Lindsay Roman and Rams' Stanya, as both got off to very good starts with each retiring the opposition in order in the first inning. The SUNY New Paltz offense threatened in the top half of the second, with Jessica Greapel beating out a throw after grounding to short, putting her on base with one out. A double into left field by Carol Ann Campsey followed, moving Graepel to third base and giving the Hawks runners on second and third with just one out. Stanya quickly regrouped though, getting Sydney Bonewit to ground out to first with Graepel getting caught in a rundown and called out at third base. 
 
Things opened up in the bottom of the second in favor of the Rams. After Walker popped up to first base, Shorr, who was 2-for-3 with two RBI in the game, singled to left field. Two batters later, Julianna Prescia doubled for her first of two hits in game one. That connection moved Shorr to third base, and Jessica Clark singled, making the score 1-0 Farmingdale State. Stanya, batted next, swung and missed on a pitch from Roman, but Prescia advanced to third and then to home plate to put the Rams up 2-0. 
 
In the top of the third inning, the Hawks again stranded runners. With Rhionna Bianchini on first base after being walked on six pitches, Jackie Rometo hit a blooper into right center field, giving SUNY New Paltz runners at first and second with one out. After Katie Quagliana hit into a fielder's choice advancing runners to second and third, Madison Maggs grounded out in the same fashion to second base to end another Hawk threat. 
"Overall, we need to do a better job of getting the key hits with runners in scoring position," said Hawks coach Krysti Maronski. "We're getting on base and then leaving way too many runners on." 
 
The Rams piled on in third. Roman walked Lyndsey Shaw, and Priscilla Rivera bunted Shaw to second. Following that up was a Walker single back to the bound that hit Roman and forced her to leave the game. Walker advanced to second base and Shaw advanced to third on the play. Shorr, stepping up to the plate, struck again with a two-RBI single into right-center field that scored Walker and Shaw, and Farmingdale State headed into the top of the fourth inning with a 4-0 lead. 
 
The Rams again added to their lead in the fourth inning, with an RBI single from Shaw scoring Prescia that allowed them to take a 5-0 advantage. The next batter, Rivera, grounded out to first base but in the process brought in Clark, who singled earlier in the inning. 
 
Impressive baserunning in the top of the fifth from Rometo, who singled, stole second base and then stole third base and home plate on a Quagliana ground out, gave the Hawks their only run of the game in the top of the fifth, making the score 6-1. SUNY New Paltz gave itselves another chance to cut into the lead and do some damage in the top of the sixth with runners at second and third with only one out after a double from Campsey. However, after walking Juliet Bernstein to load the bases, Stanya got Isabella Shepherd to ground into a double play. The sophomore put the capper on her complete game performance in the seventh when she got Bianchini to pop up, Rometo to fly out, and then struck out Maggs looking after giving up a single to Quagliana. 
 
Campsey went 3-for-3, while Rometo went 2-for-4 with one run to lead the Hawks in game one.
 
In game number two, Walker's lead-off solo home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the third proved just enough of a distance for the Rams to stave off the visitors. 
 
Farmingdale once again got its offense going in the second. After Walker singled to left field, Shorr did the same with a sharply hit ball that deflected off the hand of Julie Mastrup. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Angelina Capuano hit a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners. Prescia then grounded out to short, scoring Walker from third to give the Rams an early 1-0 edge. 
Not to be outdone, SUNY New Paltz wasted no time in responding, as Rometo singled off Shorr to begin the third inning. After Rometo was caught stealing, Quagliana singled into left field and subsequently advanced into scoring position on two wild pitches, going from first base to second base and then second to third. Maggs drove Quagliana in with an RBI single into left field to tie the game at one, but a Campsey strikeout and Marmorowski lineout ended the inning. 
 
After Walker's aforementioned home run, Farmingdale State widened the gap in the very next inning and after five innings, the home team led 4-1. 
 
Just like they had in the second inning, the Hawks responded immediately with a score of their own. Campsey singled into center field to lead off the inning and advanced on a wild pitch and a fielder's choice. She scored from third base after Graepel grounded out to the mound, making the score 4-2. 
 
Walker, who was a stellar 3-for-3 in the second game, singled to right center field to start the bottom of the sixth, and took second base on a wild pitch. After Shorr walked, Harrison came into pitch for Quagliana, who in five innings gave up six hits and five earned runs. 
 
In their last chance to tie the contest in the top half of the seventh, the Hawks made a valiant effort. Nicole Greco, who was pinch-hitting, was hit by a pitch, and Rometo followed up with a single. Quagliana, who pinch-hit for Harrison, hit into a fielder's choice to put runners at the corners with just one out, with Maggs up at the plate representing the tying run. Maggs, though, fouled out behind the plate and Jillian Shelbourne, who was hitting for Mya DiRenzo, grounded out to third base to end the contest.
 
"Farmingdale is a good program, but moving forward we need our kids to step up and believe in themselves," Maronski said. "The potential is there. It's about the want and the fight to be the team that we can be."
 
Despite the loss in game two, Rometo was tremendous, going 3-for-4 out of the leadoff spot. All in all, she was a redhot 5-for-8 combined in both games. 
 
"Jackie's doing a great job for us," said Maronski. "She's really composed as a rookie and sees the ball extremely well. We are happy with her play." 
 
The loss drops the Hawks' record to 9-7, while Farmingdale State continues their torrid stretch. Since splitting their first two games of the season, they are 8-1 and currently stand at 9-2.  Next up for SUNY New Paltz is a home doubleheader March 30, as it takes on St. Joseph's-Long Island at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in its home opener at Mary Gray Deane Field. 

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