The Oswego State softball team traveled to Potsdam on April 8 to take on the SUNY Potsdam Bears in a doubleheader. The Lakers won game one, winning 3-2, but came up short in game two, dropping it 4-3.

Game one started slow, with both teams not being able to score through the first three innings. The Lakers would end this cold streak as Fiona Higgins would score off a ground out by Kayleigh Farro.  

The Lakers started to run away with the game, adding two runs off doubles from Higgins and Madison Phinney. The Bears clawed back, adding two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but it would prove to be not enough as the Lakers won 3-2. 

Higgins was fantastic on the mound, recording 13 strikeouts, and she would also lead the day at the plate, going 2-3, adding one run and an RBI.

Game two did not start hot for the Lakers, as the Bears tacked on a run in the bottom of the second and added another run in the bottom of the fourth to bring the game to 2-0.  

The Lakers heated up in the fifth, as a double up the middle from Ariana Guinassi, scoring Tai Smith and Ellie Mahoney to bring the score to 2-2. They carried this momentum in the sixth, off a double by Samantha Morgan, they were able to take the lead. Abigail Edgar was brought in to give them a one-run lead. 

However, the Bears hit a walk-off double, bringing in two runs, as the Lakers fell in game two to the Bears by a score of 4-3.

Maria Lutz would record four strikeouts on the mound and five players all tied for one hit each in game two. 

The Lakers also went home to face the Cazenovia College Wildcats in a doubleheader on April 12. 

Game one was a nail-biter for both teams, as they would struggle to capitalize on runners in scoring position in game one, and there would be no scoring until the 10th. Higgins was, again, fantastic on the mound in game one, recording nine strikeouts in the first three innings. She also went on to record 18 strikeouts on the day.

Guinassi started the bottom of the tenth inning on second base, but went to third thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Madison Hoeflich. Krista Souders’ hit to the pitcher brought in Guinassi for the game-winning run. In extra innings, Oswego defeated the Wildcats 1-0.

Game two had the Lakers up early, as Higgins recorded a double, bringing in Hoeflich, making the score 1-0. Higgins again brought in a runner, as she singled right, bringing in Guinassi to make the score 2-0.

Back-to-back singles by Mahoney and Smith put the Lakers in position to go ahead in the bottom of the fourth, but only Mahoney ended up scoring off an error to bring the score to 3-0.

Samantha Morgan singled down the infield line in the bottom of the fifth inning to increase the Lakers’ advantage to four with runners on first and second. The Lakers still had two runners on base after Morgan’s hit and two runs were then brought in by a Mahoney single to right center field, giving the Lakers a six-run lead. 

The Wildcats were done for good as Lutz put an end to them in the top of the sixth inning with two strikes. On the mound, Lutz finished the game with 14 strikeouts. 

The Lakers next matchup will be at home vs the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons in a doubleheader. The games are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on April 14.

Photo via: Oswego Athletics