CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State softball team split a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader with SUNY Cortland on Monday afternoon at Dragon Field, winning game one, 5-1, before dropping a 4-3 decision in nine innings in game two.
 
Plattsburgh State moves to 14-15 overall (6-6 SUNYAC) with the results and next hosts SUNY Potsdam tomorrow in a 3 p.m. doubleheader. Cortland moves to 16-17 overall (9-5 SUNYAC) with the results and visits Buffalo State next on Friday, April 27, for a 3 p.m. twinbill.
 
Game 1: Plattsburgh State 5, Cortland 1
 
Senior pitcher Katie Pitkin (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) held Cortland to three hits and senior right fielder Amanda Tantillo (Florida, N.Y./S.S. Seward) added insurance with a three-run home run in the seventh to help Plattsburgh State prevail in the first game of the day.
 
Senior center fielder Felicia Torres (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush) kicked off scoring with a solo home run in the second before senior left fielder Dominique Zummo (Commack, N.Y./St. Anthony's) plated a second run for the Cardinals' cause in the sixth on an infield single. The Red Dragons countered in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single up the middle by junior designated player Hannah Feldman, cutting the deficit in half.
 
The beginning of the Cardinals' surge in the seventh came following back-to-back four-pitch walks dealt to junior catcher Jennifer Groat (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) and Zummo. Tantillo then ripped a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center field to give Plattsburgh State a 5-1 edge, which held up through the bottom of the inning.
 
Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Preiss (Cornwall, N.Y./Cornwall) and senior first baseman Kelsey Gage (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) each had multiple hits, with Preiss going 2-for-2 with one run scored and Gage batting 2-for-3. Groat's historic hit streak ended at 38 games, which ended up being the second-longest streak in the history of NCAA Division III softball
 
Pitkin earned the win in the circle, striking out three in a full seven innings of work. Cortland used two pitchers in the loss, with junior pitcher Sam Van Dorn being the pitcher of record.
 
Game 2: Cortland 4, Plattsburgh State 3 (9 inn.)
 
Cortland scored on a walk-off squeeze bunt in game two to salvage the split for the host Red Dragons.
 
The Red Dragons jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first two innings. Their first run came on a dropped fly ball in the first, while senior first baseman Skyler Hoyt drove in two runs in the second with a single through the left side to extend the Cortland advantage to three.
 
Junior third baseman Amy Glashoff (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) put the Cardinals on the board with an RBI single up the middle in the fifth, while Zummo scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to one. Senior pitcher Taylor Smith (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) came in as a pinch hitter in the No. 2 spot in the batting order in the sixth, and she ripped an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 3-all.
 
After a scoreless seventh and eighth, Cortland put itself in strong position in the ninth after a one-out triple by sophomore center fielder Kelly O'Gorman. The next batter reached on an error before Feldman laid down a sacrifice bunt to plate O'Gorman, who served as the winning run.
 
Glashoff was the lone Cardinal to post multiple hits, as she went 2-for-3. O'Gorman went 2-for-5 at the place to lead the Red Dragons.
 
Sophomore pitcher Rhea Pitkin (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) had a quality outing in the circle for Plattsburgh State, yielding three runs (two earned) on four hits and five walks while striking out one over 6 1/3 innings of work. Smith allowed just one unearned run on three hits while striking out one in two innings of relief. Van Dorn picked up the win in relief for Cortland, permitting two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two.