New Paltz, NY — In a win or go-home scenario on day two of the SUNYAC Championships, the State University of New York at New Paltz earned a 5-0 victory to advance to day three while knocking off No. 2 seeded Cortland Friday.
 
The Hawks earned quality pitching in both outings Friday on Mary Gray Deane Field from sophomore Sydney Waldon (10-1) and junior Lindsay Roman (18-2), but couldn't get timely hits in their first game of the day against No. 4 seed Buffalo State with the Bengals outfield making quality catches throughout the afternoon to earn a 2-0 eight-inning win, placing SUNY New Paltz in a win or die game against the Red Dragons, who lost in 10 innings a game earlier against Geneseo.
 
"We just went back within ourselves," said Hawks senior outfielder Sydney Bonewit. "We've taken so many swings in practice. We were really confident, and we just zoned our pitches more and didn't chase as much and that really helped."
  
Roman took the mound in the second game and tossed another typical gem, throwing a full seven innings and had a no hitter going through three innings. She ultimately finished with her fifth complete game shutout victory of the year, yielding just three hits and one walk with three strikeouts in the outing.
 
 
"I was just thinking about staying loose and everyone being happy in the dugout, being really loud and just having our energy up, because in the first game I don't think our energy was as good as it should have been," Roman said. "I think that really contributed to us winning."
 
SUNY New Paltz generated some offense playing small ball to open up the game in the first. Jackie Rometo led off the day by getting on base following an error at second by Cortland. A single by Bonewit allowed two on with no out with Jillian Shelbourne laying down a good looking bunt to move both runners over. Juliet Bernstein then got the job done on a sacrifice fly to center to bring Rometo home and give her team an early, 1-0 lead.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, SUNY New Paltz took advantage of a passed ball that allowed Bonewit to cross home, pushing the difference to 2-0. The Hawks then added three insurance runs in the sixth started on a single up the middle by Kelly Marmorowski. Catie Driscoll, who took over catching duties for Emmie Mae Cabrera, earned a base hit after getting called on a strike after getting hit in the ankle by a pitch on a bunt attempt. The stoppage of play after deliberation didn't deter the freshman, as she stroked a base hit to left to add two on with no outs for the Hawks. Rometo capitalized two batters later with a two-out RBI single to bring in another run before Bonewit ripped a double to left scoring both Driscoll and Rometo to create a 5-0 cushion.  
"I think [Driscoll] coming in to catch helped us a lot," Roman said. "I think she came back and did really good and didn't let that affect her and she came in with a single after that, then we scored and rallied that inning, so she started the rally."

Bonewit was the catalyst offensively, going 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Marmorowski followed, going 2-for-2 with a walk. Rometo finished the day with a hit, two runs, an RBI and stolen base.
 
"We play a lot better when we play loose and have a good time, so I think that's what we try to do most of the time," Roman said.
 
Before taking on the Red Dragons, the Hawks dropped the first game of the day to the No. 4 seeded Bengals to open up the afternoon. They got a great performance on the mound from Waldon who threw seven innings, allowing just five hits and one earned run with two walks and seven strikeouts.
 
 
The game went scoreless until the eighth with Waldon getting out of a jam in the fourth. Back-to-back errors placed two on with no outs for Buffalo State. After a mound visit, Waldon went back to work and forced a flyout to Jackie Rometo in left, holding the runners. She popped up the next batter and then forced a grounder through the right side with Hawks second baseman Lauren Serrao making a diving stop and flipping it to second for the third out, keeping the game at a stalemate.
 
Waldon started the top of the eighth and allowed the lead-off runner on who rifled a liner to right field. Bernstein attempted to make the diving catch for SUNY New Paltz, but the ball dropped and got behind her to the fence, allowing the Bengals to get a runner on third with no outs. A high throw by Serrao on a blooper over the head of Waldon allowed the run to reach home and keep another runner on third wit no outs. A base hit followed, which put Buffalo State up 2-0 with Jillian Harrison taking over for Waldon on the hill.
 
Harrison kept the damage at a minimum after allowing just a walk, getting out of the inning with the Hawks looking at a two-run deficit. SUNY New Paltz couldn't get its offense started, however, as three quick outs ended the game, forcing the hosts into a win or go-home scenario later in the day.
 
SUNY New Paltz registered just four hits in the game, including doubles by Shelbourne and Bonewit in the first and sixth innings, respectively.
 
"Our mindset all year has just been see the ball, hit the ball and we felt much better going into [the second game] knowing it was going to be win or lose," Bonewit said. "We had to get it done and I'm just happy that we did."
 
With the Hawks staying alive in the final game of the day, their pursuit of their first SUNYAC title continues Saturday when they face the No. 3 seeded Knights at 11 a.m. on Mary Gray Deane Field. If SUNY New Paltz beats Geneseo, it will return to its home field Sunday for the championship round against either the same Knights team or Buffalo State.
 
To view the updated tournament schedule, click here.

Post-Game Featuring Lindsay Roman & Sydney Bonewit
 
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