The SUNY Oneonta softball team opened its SUNYAC conference schedule today against Buffalo State in a doubleheader played at Hamilton College.  The Red Dragons came away with a split winning game 1, 17-9, and dropping game 2, 11-10.
 
Oneonta (7-7, 1-1 SUNYAC) collected 25 hits including a 5-for-5 performance from junior catcher Selena Ruiz (Westbury/W.T. Clarke) in game 2.  Five players had multiple hits in the first game including three-hit efforts from junior Dana Del Genio (New Hartford/New Hartford) and freshman Kristen Collins (Hicksville/Holy Trinity).
 
Game 1 summary
Trailing 9-8 entering the bottom of the sixth, Oneonta exploded for 11 runs capped by a walk-off home run over the center field fence by Del Genio to give Oneonta its victory in the opening game.  Freshman Samantha Lynagh (Staten Island/Susan E. Wagner) picked up her first collegiate victory tossing a scoreless sixth inning allowing no hits and striking out one batter.
 
The sixth inning started with a leadoff triple by sophomore Brooke Corbett (Bethlehem/Bethlehem Central), which was followed by a double from classmate Bailey Schwark (Port Ewen/Kingston).  Schwark then went to third ona wild pitch before scoring on a single through the left side by Collins to put the Red Dragons ahead 10-9.
 
Del Genio kept things going with a single to move Collins to second before both runners advanced one base via another wild pitch.  Junior Laure Sabatino then drove Collins in with a one-out single through the left side.  Del Genio scored on a fielding error by the second baseman that allowed senior Cori McFall (Pleasant Valley/Arlington) to reach base.
 
Sabatino and McFall were lifted for pinch runners before a walk to freshman Caroline Koch (New City/Clarkstown South) loaded the bases.  Freshman Amanda Sexton (Port Jervis/Port Jervis) then roped a double to center field driving in a pair of runs.  Another walk to Corbett loaded the bases once again this time for Schwark, who hit her second double of the inning to drive in two more runs.  Collins then hit a two-run single to drive in Schwark and Corbett before being thrown out at second base giving Oneonta two outs with Del Genio at the plate.  Del Genio then lifted a 1-0 pitch deep to center field ending the game.
 
In addition to Collins and Del Genio, Sexton, Corbett and Schwark all had two hits each out of the 6-7-8 spots in the order.
 
Abijah Adams, Hannah Dunlap and Kaelee Lynch each collected two hits for Buffalo State (3-10, 1-1 SUNYAC).  Danielle Szymkowiak and Emily Frajdofer each drove in three runs.  Frajdofer cleared the bases in the fifth inning with a triple down the right field line.  Szymkowiak cleared the bases in the second inning with a double to left field with two outs.
 
Game 2 summary
The second game started with plenty of fireworks, as the two teams combined for 13 runs.  Oneonta held a slight edge entering the third inning, 7-6, before adding a single run in the home half of the third.
 
Cassie O'Hearn led the Buffalo State offense with a pair of hits and four runs batted in.  Both her hits were for extra bases including an inside the park home run in the first inning to give the Bengals an early 2-0 lead.
 
Oneonta bounced back in the bottom of the first with four runs of its own to grab a lead.  All four runs were scored with two outs including three on a bases-clearing triple by Corbett.
 
Buffalo State took advantage of a couple of Oneonta errors in the top of the second inning that led to four runs.  Julia Blujus drove in two runs with a bases loaded single to left field before coming around to score on the same play when the ball was thrown into left field on a play at third base.
 
The Red Dragons bounced back in its half of the second with three runs including two off separate RBI doubles from Ruiz and Koch.
 
The Bengals regained the lead at 9-7 in the top of the fourth when they put three runs on the scoreboard.  O'Hearn drove in her third and fourth runs with an RBI double down the left field line.
 
Schwark hit an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to pull Oneonta to within a single run.
 
Two errors in the top of the sixth inning by Oneonta would end up costing them two runs, as the Bengals made them pay for the miscues.  Szymkowiak and Blujus both reached on errors to start the inning and both came around to score on an infield single by Adams.
 
Oneonta rallied in the bottom of the seventh but fell one run short.  Del Genio scored from third base on a fly out, that turned into a double play when Ruiz got caught between second and third before being tagged out going back to second base.
 
Nicole Adams went the distance for the Bengals to record her first win of the season.
 
Alyssa Bluethgen (Commack/Commack), who was the game 1 starter, took the loss in relief throwing three innings allowing two unearned runs.
 
Oneonta faces Fredonia tomorrow in another doubleheader beginning at 1pm at SUNY Cortland.