NEW PALTZ, NY – The State University of New York at New Paltz softball team, off the heels of two straight victories on April 22 against Oswego State, split a Saturday doubleheader on Senior Day against SUNY Cortland, winning game one 3-0 but falling 4-1 in game number two. In game one, Lindsay Roman pitched a complete game victory, while Jillian Harrison lost a tough game two as the Hawks could not muster enough offense against Isabel Milazo and Mikayla Pourby. 
 
Roman, like she did in her previous start, started out game one impressively. She put away the Red Dragons in order in the first inning, and the offense provided her with cushion in the bottom of the second when Nicole Greco led the inning off with a double and Rhionna Biachini drove her in three batters later on a double into left field to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead. 
 
In the top of the third, Roman was able to get out of a bases loaded, two out situation by getting McKenna Barry to ground out to Biachini at short. The Hawks gave her more run support in the bottom of the third when they stretched their lead to 3-0. 
 
Jessica Graepel got the action going by singling into centerfield to lead the inning off. After flyouts from Katie Quagliana and Jillian Shelbourne, Carol Ann Campsey singled, putting runners at first and second with two out. Nicole Greco was hit by a pitch in the ensuing at-bat before Sydney Bonewit hit a double into right field for her ninth and tenth RBI on the season to give SUNY New Paltz the three-run lead. 
 
"Offensively, our bats were good and it was great to see some players figuring it out yesterday and today at the plate," said Hawks' head coach Krysti Maronski. 
 
Roman continued her strong game by getting Julz Koch to ground out, and struck out Alyssa Finno and Lizzy Byers looking to close the top of the fourth. The Red Dragons had their final chance to take the lead in the top of the sixth inning, but Roman closed the game out nicely after allowing a single to Halle Wright and Berry, both of whom were 2-for-3 in the game, by getting Koch to pop up and Finno to fly out to preserve the 3-0 victory in game one, improving SUNY New Paltz's record to 24-13. 
 
Roman was outstanding in her seven innings, striking out six while giving up six hits, improving her season record to 13-5. 
 
"Lindsay had one of her best performances on the mound today," said Maronski. "She was getting ahead in her counts and we have really been working in more offspeed and it kept them very off balance and was really effective. It will be crucial for her moving forward to continue to utilize that. We also did a really steady job in the field." 
 
In game two, SUNY New Paltz just could not generate enough offensively despite outhitting Cortland six to four, falling 4-1. 
 
"In the second game, we hit a ton of balls hard that they made good plays on. We just couldn't get the key hit," Maronski admitted. 
 
Harrison struck out three of the four batters she faced in the first inning, but ran into trouble in the top of the third. Elaina Ornstein led off the inning with a first pitch single and stole second base. Harrison walked Wright and, two batters later, hit Koch. Finno hit a bases-loaded, two-run single into center field to put Cortland on top 2-0. 
 
After Harrison retired batters in succession in the fourth, the Red Dragons scored two more in the fifth. Harrison, after giving up a single to Wright, was replaced by Sydney Waldon. Waldon, though, after getting Barry to pop up, allowed a two-RBI double to Koch. She managed to get Finno to fly out and Brooke Scheibe to ground out, but the damage had been done as the visitors doubled up their lead, 4-0, after five and a half innings. 
 
In the sixth, Waldon struck out Tori Reich, and got Hannah Fairbrother and Ornstein to ground out, providing SUNY New Paltz with a chance in the sixth to get back in the game at a still doable margin. 
 
Shelbourne and Campsey walked, and Isabella Shepherd, into run for Shelbourne, stole third base, as did Campsey to second, giving the Hawks two runners in scoring position with just one out. However, Pourby struck out Nicole Greco on a 3-1 pitch and got Bonewit to ground out to end the frame. 
 
SUNY New Paltz had one last chance in the seventh inning, and were able to get on the board when Quagliana doubled into right field, bringing Graepel into score. However, Shelbourne, pinch hitting for Mya DiRenzo, flew out to end the game. Milazzo improved to just 2-6 on the season, while Harrison, who struck out four batters in four innings and gave up three runs, dropped to 7-4. 
 
"Jill and Sydney combined to do a great job on the mound," said Maronski of her pitcher's performances. "We just have to do a better job with balls on the ground while Jill is pitching. We're really going to hone in on that this week to prep for Oneonta." 
 
The loss prevented the Hawks from sweeping the weekend against two SUNYAC opponents, but they still go into next weekend's games at the Red Dragons with a 24-14 record, third-best in the SUNYAC behind the 20-9 SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons and 25-3 SUNY Geneseo. 
 
"Overall, it was a good day," said Maronski to sum things up. "It was great to honor our three seniors Carol Ann (Campsey), Katie (Quagliana), and Julia (Mastrup), who are amazing girls and see them enjoy the day."
 
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