Geneseo, NY — For the second straight season, the SUNYAC Tournament will go through New Paltz.
 
The State University of New York at New Paltz split its doubleheader series against defending SUNYAC Champions SUNY Geneseo Friday, but all the Hawks needed was a single win over the reigning three-time champion Knights to secure their second-straight regular season conference title.
 
SUNY New Paltz dropped game one in a pitcher's duel, 1-0, but came back to win game two, 8-3 to improve to 15-1 in SUNYAC play and lock up the top seed for the second straight season, a first in program history.
 
Lindsay Roman pitched a three-hitter in game one and held a perfect game through nearly seven innings, but the Knights came through with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to sneak out with a walk-off win.
 
SUNY New Paltz out-hit Geneseo in game one, 6-3, but left runners stranded in scoring position in the first and second innings. The first started with a one-out single by Jackie Rometo with Kelsey O'Brien adding on two batters later. The sophomore knocked a two-out base hit up the middle to place runners on first and second, but the threat ended there as the Knights forced a ground out to end the side. Ella Sharrock then got the second inning going with a one-out single to right but was forced out at second on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat. Lauren Serrao kept the inning going on a two-out base hit, but again, Geneseo got out of trouble with a ground out to end the inning.  
All three hits Roman gave up came in the bottom of the seventh. The Knights led off with a single, but the senior forced a double-play on the next at-bat for a quick two outs. The Knights continued the rally, however, extending the inning with a base hit, before an RBI double to right ended the game in walk-off fashion.
 
O'Brien and Serrao led the way combining for four of the Hawks' six hits going 2-for-3, respectively. Roman allowed three hits, one earned run and no walks with two strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work.
 
SUNY New Paltz regrouped in game two with seeding on the line. The Hawks knew they needed one win Friday to grab home field advantage and the offense came through in the second outing of the day.
 
Filancia was the catalyst, as she went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI, while Serrao and Sydney Bonewit solidified the backend of the lineup, combining to go 5-for-7 with four runs and two RBI in the eighth and nine spot, respectively.
 
Filancia started the game with a leadoff double before giving her team the lead on a sacrifice fly by Jillian Shelbourne. Geneseo tied the game in the bottom of the second and took a 3-1 lead in the third, but SUNY New Paltz came through with a game-changing fifth inning to give starter Sydney Waldon some run support.
 
Bonewit got the inning started with a one-out single to shallow center before Serrao followed up with a base hit to place two runners on. Filancia then brought them both home as she smacked her second double of the day to not only tie the game at 3-3, but also etch her name in the program record books with her 17th double of the season – most in single season program history.
 
Rometo kept the rally going with a base knock to left before putting herself in scoring positioning with a stolen base. Shelbourne walked in the next at-bat, allowing O'Brien to hit a two-RBI single to left to bring both runs home and extend the score to 5-3.
 
Waldon stranded four runners in the fifth and sixth to keep the Knights off the board, before Roman took over to close out the seventh. She made quick work of a leadoff single by Geneseo in the bottom of the seventh, forcing a fielder's choice then a game-ending double play to solidify the 8-3 win.
 
Waldon improved to 15-1 on the year, after giving up eight hits, two earned runs with six strikeouts in six innings pitched. Roman allowed just a single hit in the one inning of work to aid in the victory, helping to push her team's record to 29-5 overall and 15-1 in the SUNYAC.
 
SUNY New Paltz closes out the regular season Saturday with a doubleheader against SUNY Brockport. Two wins against the Golden Eagles would tie the most in single season program history of 31, which was set last year after the team finished 31-13 overall.
 
First pitch Saturday is scheduled for noon.

 
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