The Oswego softball team had a hard week against SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta and Clarkson University, winning just one game out of six.

All of the games played were on the road and were doubleheaders. The first was against the SUNY New Paltz Hawks, and was the first SUNYAC match of the season. The Hawks had an outstanding record of 13-4 before this matchup, while the Lakers had a 4-9 record.

The game started with no scoring in the first inning, but in the second inning, the Lakers opened the lead with a run by Lily Fanea. At the same time, the Hawks could not score in the second inning. The Lakers’ advantage did not last long. With the Lakers not scoring in the third inning, the Hawks took back the lead and made three runs, making the score 3-1.

The Lakers tried to reduce the Hawks’ advantage, but both teams’ defenses were solid and did not allow any more points, leaving the Lakers with a loss. A positive point for the Lakers in this match was Fiona Higgins’ performance; she had seven strikeouts.

The second game had more runs and a giant scoreboard, ending 7-3 for the Hawks. The score did not change in the first two innings, with both teams missing their chances. However, in the third inning, the Lakers opened up the lead again with two successful runs by Mackenzie Carlson, unearned. Mattison Phinney also had an unearned run.

Again, the Lakers saw their lead go fast, with the Hawks scoring two and making the score tied again. Both defenses managed to keep the game tied until the sixth inning, when the Hawks put on a show and scored five more runs on the Lakers, making the score almost impossible to beat. Phinney scored one more run in the seventh inning, but that was not enough to tie the game, making the final score 7-3 for the Hawks. 

The Lakers started their SUNYAC season with two losses and had to win the doubleheader against the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons, a team that lost their first two games in the conference, to have a chance of more security in the tournament and not end up in last place. However, the Lakers lost both games with a score of 7-1 in the first game and 11-0 in the second.

The game did not start well for the Lakers, with the Red Dragons scoring in the first inning and opening the lead. The Lakers were dangerous in the third inning, getting close to tie the game and possibly taking the lead, but they were left stranded. On the other hand, the Red Dragons took advantage of the Lakers’ missed chances and scored two more runs, making the lead 3-1. 

After a no-scoring fourth inning, the Red Dragons expanded their lead by scoring three more runs in the fifth. The Red Dragons scored another in the sixth inning to win the match, ending it 7-1.

The Red Dragons played well in the second game and scored a massive victory over the Lakers. The Red Dragons scored in all four innings played, while the Lakers could not score. The Lakers got three hits in the five innings; Phinney hit twice and Tahlia Gerardi once, but this was not enough to get on the scoreboard.

The Red Dragons scored one in the first inning, four runs in the second inning and three runs in the third and fourth quarters respectively, ending the game 11-0.

The Lakers’ third doubleheader this week was against Clarkson University. The Lakers dominated one game, while the Golden Knights were superior in the other.

The first game started with the Lakers performing strong, scoring three runs in the first inning and defending very well, not conceding a single point. The momentum continued in the second inning, adding one more to the Lakers. In the third inning, the Golden Knights scored the first and only point of the game. 

After both teams failed to score in the fourth inning, the Lakers finished the game by scoring two runs in the fifth and sixth innings, closing the game with an eight-to-one score.

In the last game, the Golden Knights dominated, not allowing the Lakers to score. The Golden Knights scored two runs in the first inning, five runs in the third inning and one more run to finish it all off in the fifth inning, making the score 8-0.

The Lakers are now last on the SUNYAC standing, and their next game will be a doubleheader against SUNY Geneseo on April 12 at home.

Photo by: Oswego Athletics