Geneseo, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz survived another day in pursuit of the program's first SUNYAC Championship title, eliminating Plattsburgh with a 7-1 win after falling to Cortland, 5-3 in its day two of the double elimination tournament Friday.
 
The win over the Cardinals allowed the Hawks to advance to the semifinal round Saturday at 11 a.m. in a re-match against SUNY Cortland. The winner will advance to the finals to face an undefeated Geneseo team, with SUNY New Paltz, if advancing to the finals, needing two wins over the hosting Knights to be crowned champions.
 
"In our first game we made a few defensive mistakes that ultimately hurt us and left some runners on, but even with that we put up a good fight," said SUNY New Paltz coach Krysti Maronski of her team's performance Friday. "Afterwards we told them to wash it and get pumped for the next game and we did. The bats came alive and we got good pitching and great defense all game."
 
In the team's first game of the day against the No. 2 seeded Red Dragons, Carol Ann Campsey hit her second homer of the season — a solo shot in the top of the second inning to tie the game at 1-1. Cortland regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth, as an error by Jackie Rometo at second allowed the lead-off batter on with the Red Dragons capitalizing two batters later on an RBI single by Alyssa Finno.
 
Sydney Waldon came in to relieve starter Lindsay Roman for SUNY New Paltz and limited the damage, getting a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning with the Hawks only trailing, 2-1.
 
After a scoreless fifth for both sides, SUNY New Paltz had a chance to add on in the top of the sixth after Campsey doubled to center. Nicole Greco was given a base in the following at-bat on a hit-by-pitch, but the Hawks failed to capitalize, as back-to-back pop-outs ended the top-half. Cortland in turn, platted three in the bottom of the inning, which proved as the difference in the game. 
Finno knocked a double into right field to score the Red Dragons' lead-off hitter, Halle Wright, who got on following another error at second. Cortland tacked on two more with a two RBI double, but Waldon popped out the last hitter to close out the inning.
 
The Hawks had a rally going in the seventh with Madison Maggs getting it going with a solo home run to open up the inning. Rometo walked and Katie Quagliana followed up with a single to put two on with no outs, but back-to-back flyouts limited SUNY New Paltz's chances to add to its offensive threat. Ultimately, the Hawks added one following a throwing error on a hit to third by Campsey, but the rally stalled there with Cortland getting a strikeout to close out the side, resulting in the 5-3 defeat.
 
Campsey led the way offensively in the game, going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI on her homer in the second with Rometo following, going 1-for-2 on a double, with a run and two walks. Roman pitched 3.1 innings, allowed three hits and one earned run with three strikeouts, while Waldon pitched the final 2.2 innings, gave up two hits and two earned runs with two strikeouts.
 
"CA came ready to play today," Maronski said. "She's seeing the ball so well and playing hard."
 
On the brink of elimination, the Hawks had little time to dwell on the loss and instead regrouped and had a convincing performance against Plattsburgh shortly after ending their matchup with the Red Dragons.
 
Each team put a run across in the third, but SUNY New Paltz jumped ahead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Campsey continued her hot day with a triple to right to lead off the inning. Maggs brought her home with an RBI single before advancing into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt by Jillian Harrison. The small ball worked, as Greco created a two-run cushion with an RBI base hit to left to plate Maggs.
 
Harrison was stout for SUNY New Paltz in the circle, as she put up zeros in the top of the fifth and sixth before she got some more run support in the bottom of the sixth to help secure her the win.
 
Maggs led off with a single through the left side of the infield before Harrison helped her own cause with a base hit. Rometo then scored Maggs on an RBI single with Quagliana then doing the same to score Sydney Bonewit, who pinch ran for Harrison. Jillian Shelbourne capped the offensive run with a two RBI base hit to plate both Quagliana and Rometo to create a 7-1 lead.
 
Harrison the shut the door on the win, forcing two groundouts and a flyout to help the Hawks advance into the semifinals Saturday.
 
Harrison took the win after seven innings of work, giving up just three hits, no walks and one run. Shelbourne was the catalyst offensively in game two, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Rometo and Greco followed going 2-for-3 with a run and RBI apiece, while Maggs went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI on her solo home run.
 
The win, which pushed the Hawks to 27 — the most ever in single-season history — and a Geneseo victory over the Red Dragons, sets up a re-match between the SUNY New Paltz and Cortland, their fourth game played against each other on the year with the Red Dragons taking 2-of-3 thus far. The winner advances to play the Knights at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

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