Onondaga, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz traveled to Onondaga Community College Monday to conclude its regular season against Buffalo State with conference seeding on the line.
 
The Hawks won Game 2, 1-0 after dropping a tough 5-4 result in Game 1, which brought them out of contention in hosting duties of the postseason tournament for the third straight year and instead dropped to the No. 2 seed with Cortland taking the top spot.
 
SUNY New Paltz battled through a tied contest in Game 1, going into the eighth knotted at fours after Ella Sharrock came through clutch with a two-out single to left that scored Jackie Rometo and Sophia D'Arcangelis, taking advantage of their speed around the bases to create the 4-all stalemate. D'Arcangelis helped her team get on the board early with an inside the park home run in the third that trimmed the score, 4-2 scoring Lauren Serrao who got on with a lead-off base hit.
 
SUNY New Paltz couldn't take advantage of runners in scoring position in the ninth, as Kelsey O'Brien ripped a shot back at the pitcher which allowed her to reach safely. She stole second giving the Hawks life for the go-ahead run, but a strikeout on the next at-bat ended the side.  
The Bengals earned a pinch hit single in the bottom half before reaching second on a passed ball. They then got on third with a stolen base and one out and a sacrifice fly did the job to plate the game-winning run.
 
Rometo hit 2-for-5 with a run, while D'Arangelis went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. O'Brien added two hits including a double and stolen base. Waldon earned the start and pitched three innings and gave up six hits, four earned runs and three walks with three strikeouts. Leah Gunsett was handed the loss, as she threw the last 5.2 innings, allowing three hits, one earned run and six walks with two strikeouts.
 
Gunsett earned the start in Game 2, throwing a complete game shutout on just three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
 
The game was scoreless going into the seventh before D'Arcangelis kept the inning alive with a two-out base hit through the right side of the infield. She stole second to put herself in scoring position with Rometo up to the plate. Rometo dinged a ball to right that was flubbed allowing Rometo to arrive safely and D'Arcangelis to score easily for the game's first run.

Gunsett then closed the door in the bottom half. She earned a strikeout for the first out before allowing a walk, but forced a flyout and a fielder's choice ended the game following another walk to capture the 1-0 win.
 
SUNY New Paltz totaled seven hits with Gunsett helping her own cause, going 2-for-3 with a double. D'Arcangelis added a hit, and a run scored, while Rometo had a hit and with it, surpassed 200 career hits as she sits as the program's all-time leader in the category.
 
The split with Buffalo State placed the Hawks as the No. 2 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament, as they travel to top-seeded Cortland for postseason play. They will face the winner of No. 6 Plattsburgh and No. 3 Buffalo State Thursday at 3 p.m. and will continue on Friday.
 
View the full SUNYAC Tournament schedule here.


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