New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz proved why it took the regular season SUNYAC title Friday in its regular season finale against visiting SUNY Oneonta.
The Hawks gave up just two hits in a Game 1, 3-0 shutout victory before responding with a dominant sixth-inning in Game 2 that broke up a 1-1 tie, highlighted by a go-ahead two-run bomb by
Ella Sharrock that not only helped her team to the eventual 7-1 victory, but also bumped the junior atop the program's record books becoming the team's new all-time home run leader.
The two victories also extended SUNY New Paltz's winning streak to 15 games and kept the Hawks perfect on Mary Gray Deane Field at 16-0. They improved their SUNYAC record to 17-1 to claim the regular season title for the third time in four years, playing host to this year's postseason tournament slated for next weekend, while upping their overall mark to 30-8 to cement their third 30-win season in the last four years as well.
Alex Frenza was near perfect in the Game 1 start. She allowed just two hits and one walk, while tying a career-high 14 strikeouts in a complete game, seven-inning shutout to collect her eighth shutout of the year and 18th complete game pitched, while improving her record to 14-5.
Gallery: (5-1-2026) Softball vs. Oneonta 5/1- by Amy Whitman
SUNY New Paltz took the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Kelsey O'Brien blooped a single over the shortstop's head for a tough at-bat, which allowed her team two on with two outs. Sharrock stepped up and came through for her team, muscling a ball through the middle of the infield to score
Ava Thys from second to give the hosts the initial, 1-0 lead. The Hawks couldn't add on though and wasted the bases loaded, as the Red Dragons ended the side of consecutive strikeouts to get out of the jam.
O'Brien led off the third with a walk and once again, Sharrock became the catalyst as she belted a liner through the 5-6 hole deep to the left field fence, scoring speed-demon O'Brien from first to push the lead to 2-0.
Lauren Serrao added on, as she popped a hit to shallow right, which scored a speedy Sharrock from second with
Jenna Carmody hauling over to third.
Kaitlyn Gordon nearly brought Carmody home on a slow grounder to second, hustling down the first base line but just came short of the throw to end the side.
Sharrock led the team offensively, going 2-for-3 with a double, run scored and two RBI. Thys followed as she went 2-for-4 with the go-ahead run. Serrao added an RBI hit and a walk, while O'Brien went 1-for-2 with a run and a walk.
Game 2 was tighter between the two sides with both teams struggling to push runs across. Thys, the former Red Dragon, plagued the visitors all afternoon and made them pay again in the third. The junior transfer rocked an RBI single to the left field gap to score Gordon from second to give SUNY New Paltz the initial, 1-0 lead.
The Hawks narrowly added on in the fourth, as a walk by
Brianna Hardwick kept the inning alive. She was replaced on the base paths by Meredith Garafolo who moved over on a wild pitch before stealing third. Oneonta called for a review between the two officials on the tight call on the tag, but the ruling of safe held up. However, Red Dragons' Caitlin McTiernan limited the damage, getting Carmody swinging to get out of the jam and keep the deficit at one.
Oneonta tied the score in the bottom of the sixth after getting runners on first and third with one out.
Morgan Smith, who earned the Game 2 start, was replaced by Frenza in the circle who tried to keep SUNY New Paltz's slight margin. The Red Dragons executed on some small-ball softball, laying down a bunt that allowed the runner at third to score, beating the tag by
Mallory Rohon at the plate to tie at 1-1.
The Red Dragons tried for another bunt, which blooped slightly in front of the plate that was nearly caught by Rohon on a diving effort. Despite the valiant attempt, the ball dropped for the base hit, but
Maddie Anderson with a heads-up play picked up the loose ball and earned the out at third. The out was crucial as Frenza got out the inning on the next at-bat on a fly out to end the side with the score still tied, 1-1.
SUNY New Paltz answered in a big way in the sixth. Anderson earned a bag on a hit-by-pitch, setting the table for Sharrock. The junior fouled off pitch after pitch before finding one that she turned on, belting a two-run bomb over the centerfield fence for the go-ahead runs and etching her name in the program record books for her eighth home run of the season and 14th of her career. Rohon took Sharrock's lead and also ripped a bomb that she pulled well past the left field fence for her second of the year.
The momentum was officially shifted toward the Hawks, as a double by Gordon and an RBI base hit by Thys brought the lead to 7-1. The six-run inning was all SUNY New Paltz needed, as Frenza shut down the side in the seventh for her second win of the day.
Despite the no-decision, Smith pitched well. She gave up just one walk, one earned run and five hits with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Frenza tossed the last 1.2 and gave up just a hit with three strikeouts and earned the win. Frenza's 15 wins is tied for fifth most in single-season Hawks history, four shy of tying the all-time record of 19 held by Cris Lukas in 1994.
Thys was one of two players in the game to finish with two hits, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Gordon added an RBI double and a run scored, while Carmody tallied two runs and a hit.
SUNY New Paltz has some rest before prepping for its fifth-straight SUNYAC playoff appearance. It'll play host on Mary Gray Deane Field for the top six teams starting Thursday, May 7. Seeding will finalize after Saturday's slate of conference games still to be played.
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