PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State softball team split a conference doubleheader with SUNY Oneonta Saturday at Cardinal Park on Senior Day to earn the No. 5 seed in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament. The Cardinals took a 9-4 decision in game one before falling, 15-6, in the nightcap.
 
Between games, Plattsburgh State honored seniors Amanda Tantillo (Florida, N.Y./S.S. Seward), Dominique Zummo (Commack, N.Y./St. Anthony's), Kelsey Gage (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush), Katie Pitkin (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown), Taylor Smith (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville), Jackie Decker (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) and Felicia Torres (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush) in addition to junior Jennifer Sarcone (Centereach, N.Y./Newfield), who will be graduating in December.
 
Plattsburgh State moves to 18-17 overall (10-8 SUNYAC) with the results and opens up the six-team, double-elimination SUNYAC Tournament, which will be hosted by top-seeded SUNY Geneseo, on Thursday, May 3, with second-seeded SUNY Cortland at 11 a.m. Oneonta moves to 19-13 overall (11-7 SUNYAC) with the results and earned the No. 3 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament. The Red Dragons kick off their action at the SUNYAC Tournament at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 3, against fourth-seeded Oswego State.
 
Game 1: Plattsburgh State 9, Oneonta 4
 
Tantillo recorded six RBI in game one—tied for the second-most in a single game in program history—to help the Cardinals defeat the Red Dragons in the first contest of the day.
 
In the bottom of the first, Tantillo opened scoring with a two-run double to right center, but Oneonta retaliated in the top of the second, relying on a sacrifice fly by sophomore third baseman Bailey Schwark and an RBI single by junior designated player Lauren Sabatino to tie the score at 2-all.
 
Plattsburgh State put together a five-run third, which began with a bases-loaded RBI on a fielding error before Tantillo ripped a grand slam to left-center field. Junior first baseman/designated player Jennifer Groat (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) accounted for the next two runs, driving in junior shortstop Kaitlyn Preiss (Cornwall, N.Y./Cornwall) with a sacrifice fly in the fourth before plating Preiss once again in the sixth on a single down the right-field line.
 
Oneonta scratched across two runs in the top of the seventh due to an RBI single by Sabatino and an RBI groundout by junior catcher Selena Ruiz. With the bases loaded and with two outs, Plattsburgh State brought in Smith in relief, and Smith shut the door by inducing a fly out to left to end the game.
 
Preiss and Tantillo led the Cardinal bats in game one, with Preiss going 2-for-2 with four runs scored and a stolen base and Tantillo batting 2-for-4 with six RBI, a double, a home run and a run scored.
 
Pitkin earned the win in the circle for Plattsburgh State, yielding four runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks while striking out one. Smith was credited with the save, as the potential tying run was on deck when she entered the game in the seventh. Oneonta used two pitchers in the loss, with sophomore pitcher Julia Calabro being the pitcher of record.
 
Game 2: Oneonta 15, Plattsburgh State 6
 
Oneonta took a 4-0 lead in the second inning and never relinquished it, scoring 15 runs and scattering 16 hits in the game two victory.
 
The Red Dragons scored four unearned runs in the second before junior center fielder Dana Del Genio made it a 5-0 game in the third with an RBI double to left center. Plattsburgh State got on the board in the bottom of the third, as Zummo drove in junior second baseman Anna Fisher (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) on a squeeze play, but Oneonta seized the momentum in the fourth with a five-run inning.
 
Torres and Fisher each had RBI base knocks in the home half of the fourth before the Cardinals drew within four with a three-run fifth. Freshman pinch runner Sydney Adolfo (Morrisonville, N.Y./Saranac) came around to score on a fielder's choice error before Gage scored on a wild pitch. Sarcone drove in the final run of the inning to cut the deficit to 10-6.
 
Oneonta went on to add insurance in the sixth and seventh innings, plating three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh.
 
The Cardinals used all three of their pitchers in the loss, with sophomore pitcher Rhea Pitkin (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) being the pitcher of record. Pitkin did not allow an earned run in 1 2/3 innings of work. The Red Dragons utilized three pitchers in the win, with sophomore pitcher Alyssa Bluethgen being the pitcher of record.