Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
New Paltz, NY – In its first match against SUNY Oswego since the first round of last season's SUNYAC Tournament, the State University of New York at New Paltz softball team exacted some revenge with a 4-1 victory over the Lakers on Friday afternoon thanks to some clutch pitching from Hawks senior Lauren Cappello.
 
"Winning the first game was a great way to start the day," Hawks head coach Samantha Miller said. "It just shows that one day doesn't make a big difference, in terms of what happened on Wednesday [Against Western Connecticut State University]. To be able to turn things around and take a win today was huge on our end."
 
With runners on second and third and only one out in the top of the seventh inning, Oswego's three-hole hitter, sophomore outfielder Jessica Roe, came to the plate as the tying run. Cappello struck out Roe on a called third strike and then got junior pitcher Angela Frampton, who is tied for the team lead with three home runs, to groundout to shortstop to secure the win.
 
Cappello worked out of trouble in the sixth inning as well. With runners on first and second and no outs, she got junior third baseman Carly Lawless to pop out to first base and then snagged a line drive from the next batter and threw to first to get the runner out and end the inning. In total, Cappello stranded nine runners on base, five in the final three innings.
 
"Jams are inevitable in any game," Cappello said. "I've learned that in those moments, the pitcher needs to stay in control of the game and keep her composure. She also has to continue to have confidence in both herself and her defense behind her, and I always have confidence in my defense."
 
The Hawks broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth to give Cappello a three-run lead. With runners on first and second and two out, SUNY New freshman shortstop Katie Conrad, who knocked in the game's first run in the third inning, lined a single up the middle to give her team a 2-1 lead. Senior outfielder Taylor Leonette followed with her own single up the middle to drive in two more runs.
 
"The pitcher I faced likes to throw inside, so I knew if I turned on it I would be able to get a nice little shot," Conrad said. "I did just that and it scored a run which was exactly what we needed at that time."
 
Conrad concluded the first game with a 2-for-3 performance, including two RBIs and one run scored. Hawks senior outfielder Danielle Bruno also saw the ball well, going 1-for-1 with two walks and one run scored.
 
Cappello tossed her ninth complete game of the season, scattering eight hits, surrendering just one run and striking out four to earn her sixth win of the season.
 
"Winning the first game against Oswego was the best feeling we've had this season," Conrad said. "I wasn't here last year, but I heard some rough things about Oswego and I'm glad we came out on top in the first game."
 
Similar to game one, SUNY New Paltz scored first in the second game, this time doing so in the fourth inning. Conrad led off the inning with a double and then stole third. Junior second baseman Shannon Fee grounded out to the pitcher, and Conrad bolted for home plate as soon as the ball left her hand to get the Hawks on the board.
 
SUNY New Paltz held that 1-0 lead going into the top of the sixth inning, but two-consecutive errors to start the inning put runners on first and third. Frampton, who started the game in the circle, helped her own cause with a single to right center to tie the game. The Lakers would go on to score five more runs before the inning ended and tacked on an insurance run in the seventh for a 7-1 final. Only one of Oswego's seven runs was an earned run.
 
"Nerves got the best of us in that second game," Miller said. "Our mental mistakes allowed their bigger hitters to come up and they put the bat on the ball. It came down to mental mistakes and we fell apart that game. We haven't done that in a long time, so it is a learning experience for us. But, we need to make sure we leave it all here today and get ready for tomorrow."
 
Conrad, Leonette and Hawks sophomore third baseman Taylor Fischer each recorded one hit in the contest.
 
SUNY New Paltz sophomore pitcher Alyssa Pfitscher sustained the loss, but only gave up two hits and four unearned runs while striking out one. Freshman pitcher Emily Fox gave up one earned run in her one inning of relief and Cappello added one scoreless inning of relief to her impressive day in the circle.
 
The Hawks (11-12-1, 4-2 SUNYAC) will next host SUNY Cortland (11-12, 4-2 SUNYAC) on Saturday with the first game scheduled to start at 12 p.m. Last season, SUNY New Paltz and the Red Dragons split their series as the Hawks earned their first win against Cortland in three years. Then-No. 18 Cortland was 12-0 in conference play prior to the series, but SUNY New Paltz gave them their first SUNYAC loss of the season with a 6-1 victory in the first game. It was also the Hawks' first road win against the Red Dragons since 1994 and their first victory against a nationally ranked opponent since 2013.
 
"We know how big the games against Cortland are tomorrow, so we just have to show up like we did the first game today," Miller said. "It's going to come down to who makes the least amount of mistakes. We are able to learn from our mental mistakes from the second game today and not repeat them going into tomorrow."

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