UTICA, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly softball team completed their series sweep of Cobleskill on Saturday, winning both games of a doubleheader. Poly won the first game 8-2 and the second game 5-4. Game one was a 14-hit offensive outburst for the Wildcats with great pitching. Game two was the opposite, with the Wildcats exploiting opportunities given to them by the Fighting Tigers who made three errors in the game while allowing just two hits. SUNY Poly is now 12-4 this season with a 3-0 record in NAC play.

GAME ONE:

Cobleskill – 2

SUNY Poly – 8

WP: Trinity Critelli (8-1)

LP: Kimberly Olsen (0-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Wildcats dominated from the start, scoring five runs in the first two frames. Aeron Hamm got the Wildcats started, driving in a pair of runs on a two-RBI single that scored Kimberly Birmingham and Amy DeSena. In the second, Ava Faragon had a two RBI single that scored Gabriella Ellixson and Joy Stevens.

Cobleskill scored a run in the top of the fifth when an error allowed EmmaRae Easton to score.

In the sixth, the Wildcats added three more runs to bring their lead to 8-1. Ava Faragon, Aeron Hamm, and Kelly Powell all had RBI singles in the inning.

An error in the seventh allowed another Cobleskill run to score, but the game was ended shortly thereafter with a strikeout.

Trinity Critelli pitched a complete game for the Wildcats, allowing only two runs on five hits and striking out 11 batters.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• SUNY Poly's Ava Faragon went 2-for-4 with a single, three RBIs, and two runs scored.
• Kimberly Birmingham went 3-for-4 for the Wildcats with a single, an RBI, and twp runs scored.
• Poly's Aeron Hamm went 2-for-4 with three RBI.
• Kelly Powell went 2-for-4 with an RBI for SUNY Poly.
• Olivia DeMott threw 4.1 innings of relief for Cobleskill, giving up three runs on eight hits, with a strikeout. She also had two hits for the Fighting Tigers.

GAME TWO:

Cobleskill – 4

SUNY Poly - 5

WP: Joy Stevens (3-0)

LP: Marissa Wheeler (2-6)

SV: Trinity Critelli (1)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

SUNY Cobleskill started the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single by Alexis Miranda, which allowed Olivia DeMott to score. SUNY Poly responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, thanks to an error by the center fielder that allowed Ava Faragon and Maddelyn Hoehn to score, followed by a sacrifice fly from Kelly Powell that brought in Birmingham.

In the second inning, SUNY Cobleskill added three more runs to take a 4-3 lead. Olivia DeMott had an RBI groundout, Emily Lutz had an RBI single, and Alexis Miranda drove in a run with a single.

Trailing by one run in the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats got a couple of runners on base thanks to a walk and a fielder's choice. With runners on first and second and two outs, Kimberly Birmingham hit a long fly ball to the right field gap. The Cobleskill right fielder took a good route to the ball, ultimately getting in a great place to field the fly ball, but it hit her glove and bounced away.  The error allowed both Faragon and Ellixson to score and gave the Wildcats a 5-4 lead.

SUNY Cobleskill had opportunities to tie or take the lead in the sixth and seventh, but SUNY Poly's pitchers held strong. Trinity Critelli earned a save in the game, shutting the door on the game in the last two innings with a pair of strikeouts and two hits allowed.

Joy Stevens earned the win for Poly, pitching five innings, and allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out three. SUNY Cobleskill's Marissa Wheeler earned the loss. She pitched all six innings, allowing five runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out four.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Ava Faragon went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk for SUNY Poly.
• Maddelyn Hoehn went 1-for-3 with a run scored for the Wildcats
• Poly's Kimberly Birmingham drove in a run and scored a run.
• Kelly Powell had an RBI for SUNY Poly.
• Olivia DeMott went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for Cobleskill.
• Emily Lutz went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for Cobleskill.
• Alexis Miranda went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a stolen base.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will travel to SUNY Canton next weekend to take on the Roos in North Atlantic Conference play. The Wildcats and the Roos will play one game at 4:00 PM on Friday, April 14th, and two games on April 15th. The Saturday doubleheader will start at 12:00 PM.