Boxscore and Play-by-Play
Post-game Press Conference

Salem, Va. – The Plattsburgh State softball team was stymied by another one of the nation’s top pitchers in Allyson Fournier as the Cardinals fell in an elimination game, 7-1, to Tufts University. With the loss, Plattsburgh claims seventh place at the NCAA Division III Softball Championship.

Jo Clair got things going for Tufts (41-6) in the top of the first with a double to left center. The Jumbos followed that up with back-to-back singles off Plattsburgh starter Heather Loughran to take an early 2-0 lead.

Loughran was replaced by junior Ashley Marshall after 1.1 innings of work. The Cardinal senior allowed the two runs on four hits and suffered the loss, ending her final season with a 10-6 record.

Marshall found herself in trouble in the fifth inning when a pair of infield singles and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with no outs. Lena Cantone came through with a double to left center to bring home two more runs for Tufts. The Jumbos added one more run in the inning to take a 5-0 lead.

Samantha Capobianco was hit by a pitch on the left elbow to lead off the Plattsburgh half of the fifth before Katie McNally singled to left field, giving the Cardinals two base runners for the first time Saturday afternoon. Fournier got Dana Mandery to foul out to the catcher and Megan Price to fly out to center before doubling up pinch runner Melanie Hayes at second, keeping Plattsburgh off the scoreboard.

“Today was a better day for us in the sense that we started to hit the ball better,” said Plattsburgh State head coach Stephanie Zweig. “Things just didn’t go our way.”

“Every team is going to be a good team and every loss is going to be a tough year.”

Allison Smiddy picked up a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth to put a runner in scoring position for the Cardinals. Two batters later, Michelle Iannone singled to right field to bring home Plattsburgh’s first and only run of the tournament. Iannone was the only Cardinal to have a multi-hit game this weekend, finishing the day with two.

Tufts added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh to stay alive in the tournament.

Cantone, Sara Hedtler and Emily Beinecke each had a pair of hits for the Jumbos, while Cantone, Clair and Beinecke drove in two runs apiece.

Fournier held the Cardinals to just one run on five hits in the complete-game victory. She did not issued a walk and struck out 10.

Ashley Marshall wrapped up an outstanding year after throwing 5.2 innings Saturday. She allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out two. Marshall finishes the year with a 25-5 record, setting the new single-season win record and the new single-season strikeout record with 275.

The second trip to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship is the culmination of a 35-11 season for the Cardinal softball team. Plattsburgh, led by third-year head coach Zweig, won the SUNYAC Championship and an NCAA Regional Championship for the second time in program history.

Saturday’s game marks the final game for Plattsburgh State senior class, which includes Loughran, McNally, Mandery, Smiddy and Erin Florkiewicz. The Cardinal seniors combined for 111 wins through since the 2009 season.

“I knew this senior class was going to do something special,” said Zweig. “For their careers to end at the Division III championships and to be seventh in the country is a phenomenal accomplishment for them.”