A Quick Look
The SUNY Oneonta softball team used its bats today to post a pair of victories on the first day of its spring trip to Florida.  The Red Dragons scored 19 runs and collected 26 hits enroute to evening its record at 3-3 overall.  Oneonta defeated Canton, 9-0 in five innings, before beating Rockford 10-8.
 
The Inside Story
In the first game today, Oneonta jumped on the SUNY Canton starter early with a couple of bombs over the left field fence that accounted for seven of the first eight runs of the contest.
 
In the top of the first inning, sophomore Megan Palmatier (Bainbridge/Bainbridge-Guilford) hit a three-run shot to give the Red Dragons the early lead.  Freshman Marissa Nagel (Averill Park/Averill Park) and junior Caroline Koch (New City/Clarkstown South) both scored in front of Palmatier.
 
Oneonta added another run in the first when junior Meaghan Raleigh (Endwell/Maine Endwell) came around to score on a throwing error by the shortstop after hitting a two-out double to right field.
 
In the bottom of the next inning, Oneonta loaded the bases with three straight singles by Nagel, Koch and Palmatier setting the stage for Raleigh.  Raleigh cleared the bases by depositing a ball over the left fence for an 7-0 advantage.
 
The final run in the game was scored in the fifth inning with two outs.  Senior Bailey Schwark (Port Ewen/Kingston) hit a two-out triple to left field and then scored on a Kristen Collins (Hicksville/Holy Trinity) single to center field.
 
In game two versus Rockford, the offense continued to pound the opposition recording 14 hits in the game.
 
After spotting the Regents three runs in the first inning including a pair via a home run, the bats came to life scoring three runs in each of the next three innings to grab a 9-3 lead after four innings.
 
Palmatier led off the second inning with a triple to left field and scored on junior Amber Badillo's (Mohegan Lake/Shrub Oak) first collegiate home run.  Another two-out hit off the bat of junior Amanda Sexton (Port Jervis/Port Jervis) drove in Schwark, who had reached on a fielder's choice before stealing second.
 
In the third inning, senior Brooke Corbett (Bethlehem/Bethlehem Central) led off with a sharp single to centerfield and then went to second on a fielding error by the Regents.  The next two batters were retired bringing up Badillo, who doubled down the right field line to drive in Corbett and Koch.  Nagel then switched places with Badillo with a double of her own to left field.
 
Oneonta rallied in the fourth inning with a pair of outs.  Meehan scored the first run on an RBI double by Koch.  Koch then came around to score on a throwing error by the first baseman on a single by Raleigh.  Palmatier scored the final run of the inning when Oneonta executed a double steal with runners at the corners.
 
The Regents put together a five-run home half of the fifth inning closing the gap to 9-8.  The big hit in the inning was a bases-clearing triple by Mikayla Seay.  Seay scored during the next at-bat on a wild pitch.  Rockford loaded the bases and scored its last run on a walk that forced in Gretchen Schrubbe.
 
The Red Dragons added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, once again with a two-out hit.  Raleigh reached base on an infield single and came home when Badillo smacked a double over the centerfielder's head.
 
Junior Hunter VanArnum (Schuylerville/Schuylerville) threw 2 1/3 innings of two-it ball to pick up her first save of the season.
 
Just the Stats
Both Palmatier and Raleigh collected three hits in the win versus Canton.
 
Senior Alyssa Bluethgen (Commack/Commack) pitched all five innings against Canton and allowed only a pair of hits while striking out nine batters.
 
Badillo led the offense versus the Regents with three hits and five runs batted in.  Raleigh, Meehan and Nagel each collected two hits.
 
Oneonta collected 11 extra-base hits today including hitting for the team cycle in each contest.
 
What's Next
Oneonta will play another pair of games tomorrow against Kenyon and Alfred State.