The Oswego State softball team heads into another weekend of conference play with a SUNYAC record of 1-3 after playing the teams from Western New York. 

The Lakers were able to split against Buffalo State back on April 2. Oswego State took game one of the doubleheader by a score of 3-2 before falling to the Bengals in game two with a final score of 4-13.

On Monday, the Lakers could not find a way around the SUNY Fredonia Blue Devils in another SUNYAC doubleheader. Oswego State was held to only four runs over the course of both games as SUNY Fredonia took care of business and got two conference wins. 

The Lakers would head back to non-conference play the following afternoon with a doubleheader on the road against Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. The two teams would split that afternoon as the Lakers took game two with a 3-1 final score. 

Oswego State has turned to Fiona Higgins and Chelsea Sellars on the mound. Higgins has seen time in 10 games for the Lakers during her second season with the squad. Sellars has pitched 12.1 innings over the course of six games this campaign. After four innings pitched against Hamilton College, Sellars received her first win this season while standing on the mound for the Lakers. 

Madison Hoeflich also has seen time on the mound for the Lakers. The junior from Buffalo, New York has pitched in four games and a total of 13 innings. Hoeflich is still looking for her first win of the season, but the Laker has kept opponents to 10 runs while pitching for Oswego State. While at the plate, the pitcher has three hits in eight at bats in those four contests played.

Zoe Mennig is also back to leading the Lakers in the batting column after starting all 17 games played. The senior averages .447 at the plate so far this campaign, the highest out of any Laker on the hitting squad. With 47 at bats, the Waverly, New York native has earned 11 runs from 21 hits. 

Higgins has also been one to watch while at home plate. The pitcher has 46 at bats with 13 hits over the course of her 17 games played. However, the player is still looking for her first run of the season.

For Gabrielle Rivers and the rest of the coaching staff, the team now turns their attention to SUNY Cortland for a SUNYAC conference doubleheader on Saturday at laker Softball Field. Last time these two teams faced off, Oswego State stole a win from the SUNYAC finalists in the second game of a doubleheader. The Lakers took that win 8-6 on their home field but Oswego State is on the losing end of the matchup history.

SUNY Cortland holds the advantage between these two programs with an overall record against the Lakers of 72-10 with the Oswego State squad losing 38 games in a row to SUNY Cortland at some point. These two teams only played twice last season as the Red Dragons took game one of the doubleheader with a 5-2 final score.

SUNY Cortland ranks number one in hits this season compared to the rest of the conference with a total of 330 in 30 games played. Oswego State sits at fourth in that category with 156 hits in 17 games played. SUNY Cortland also finds themselves in first in runs this campaign while the Lakers sit in the middle of the pack with 88 total.

SUNY Cortland finds themselves in second in the conference standings behind SUNY Oneonta with a SUNYAC record of 3-1. The Lakers find themselves tied for seventh with Buffalo State with a 1-3 conference record.

On Wednesday, the Lakers will head back on the road for a non-conference doubleheader at Clarkson University against the Golden Knights. At the end of the week, Oswego State welcomes SUNY Potsdam and Plattsburgh State for a pair of SUNYAC doubleheaders to kick off the weekend. The Bears have struggled so far this season with a SUNYAC record of 0-4 while Plattsburgh State sits tied for fifth in the conference with an even 2-2 conference record. Oswego State has plenty of SUNYAC games left to play this 2022 campaign and are still in a hunt for a post-season berth.

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics