CLINTON, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly softball team earned two wins over North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) rival Cazenovia on Wednesday. The first game was a 9-8 slugfest that saw the Wildcats win on a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning. Game two saw the Wildcats win thanks to a big four-run second inning. SUNY Poly had 25 hits in the two games. They are now 14-18 this season with a 10-6 NEAC record. They currently are tied for second place in the NEAC's North Division.  

GAME ONE:

In game one of the doubleheader, the Wildcats trailed Cazenovia 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning. SUNY Poly would put together a big inning in the fourth, plating six runs. Melissa Barber (Nassau, N.Y.) drove in the first run of the rally on a sacrifice fly that scored Kali Maggiolino (Whitesboro, N.Y.). A pair of Cazenovia errors helped the Wildcats score their next two runs. Bailey Wood (Preston Hollow, N.Y.) drove in the go-ahead run on a single through the left side of the infield scoring Bailee Haddad (Frankfort, N.Y.). Jordan Penoyer (Sherrill, N.Y.) put an exclamation mark on the rally, hitting a two-run home run to give the Wildcats an 8-5 lead. In the top of the seventh, a Hannah Croteau double brought home two for Cazenovia bringing the score to 8-7. Laura Matekovic would tie the game up on an RBI single two batters later. The Wildcats would get out of the inning, setting up a walk-off opportunity in their last licks. In the seventh, Kali Maggiolino reached on a hit by pitch and was sacrificed over to second by Courtney Morton (Whitesboro, N.Y.) setting up Bailee Haddad with a chance to be the games hero. She came through in the clutch, singling up the middle, scoring Maggiolino from second to earn the walk-off win.

NOTABLES:

• Courtney Morton recorded her 100th combined career hit in her first at-bat of the game. She went on to have a big game going 4-4 with four singles and two runs scored.

• Jordan Penoyer also went 4-4 in the game with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored.

• Bailey Wood, Hayley Breeyear (Fort Edward, N.Y.), and Kali Maggiolino all went 2-3 in the game. Wood had two RBIs and a run scored, Breeyear had one RBI, and Kali Maggiolino scored twice.

• Kayla Maiolo (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was the winning pitcher for the Wildcats. She threw seven innings, allowed seven earned runs, and struck out one batter. She is now 8-8 this season on the mound.

• Hannah Croteau led Cazenovia with four hits and three RBIs. She went 4-4 with two doubles.

• Laura Matekovic went 2-3 with a pair of RBIs in the game.

• Caitlin Kelleher also drove in a pair of runs for Cazenovia. She went 2-4 with a double.

• Serafina French was on the losing end of the pitching decision. She allowed just one run in 2 ⅔ innings pitched in relief.

GAME TWO:

In game two of the Wildcats double-header, Cazenovia struck first with a run in the top of the second inning. SUNY Poly would answer that run with four of their own in the bottom half of the second. Kali Maggiolino had an RBI single in the inning and Melissa Barber had a bases-clearing triple that drove home three runs. The Wildcats would tack on one more run in the bottom of the fifth on another Jordan Penoyer home run to left field; this time a solo shot. It was her second of the day. Cazenovia threatened with two runs in the top of the sixth inning but Jordan Penoyer and the Wildcat defense shut the door on the game to earn the 5-3 win.

NOTABLES:

• Michaela Costello (Frankfort, N.Y.) went 2-3 in the game for the Wildcats. She had a triple, a double, a single, and scored a run.

• Kali Maggiolino went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored in game two.

• Jordan Penoyer hit a solo home run in the game. It was her second of the day. She went 1-3. Penoyer was also the winning pitcher for SUNY Poly. She threw seven innings, allowed two earned runs, and struck out one.

• Melissa Barber had one hit in the game and made it count. The hit was a bases-loaded triple that drove in three runs.

• The Wildcats had three triples in the game. Melissa Barber, Michaela Costello, and Chalee Wratten (Brookfield, N.Y.) each had one.

• Lauren Kelleher was the losing pitcher for Cazenovia. She threw five innings, allowed four earned runs, and struck out two batters. Kelleher also had two hits and a run scored in the game.

• Laura Matekovic had another solid game for Caz. She went 2-3 with an RBI.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will wrap up their season with their next four games on the road. The Wildcats will take on Cobleskill on Saturday, April 27th and will face Hamilton College on Wednesday, May 1st. Saturday's games against Cobleskill are scheduled for 1:00 PM.

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York's globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world's most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and over 300 corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.