Buffalo State softball boasted two wins versus SUNY Potsdam to improve to 9-10 overall as SUNYAC Championships are only a month away.
As the box score shows, the Bengals performed better between the lines today than their previous few matches.
“They were more focused today, and have been working on their confidence. It showed more today,” said head coach Jamie Brown. “We just went for it today instead of thinking. Still a lot more work to do.”
In addition to the Bengals confidence, she gave kudos to both sides of the ball for the victory.
“We were hitting the ball harder today. I thought our pitchers were fantastic and we made most of the plays defensively,” Brown said.
Game 1, W 4-2
After four consecutive losses, Buffalo State pulled out a 4-2 win against Potsdam at Frontier High School. The game was moved off-campus due to anticipated inclement weather, per the athletics site.
Izzy Pezdek got the win in the circle as she allowed six hits and had 10 strikeouts in seven innings. She was 1-of-2 in the batter’s box.
The Bengals had nine hits total in the match. Sarah Congelosi was 1-of-3 at the plate with one-run scored. Katie Pyszczek was 2-of-3 with a run scored and Caitlyn Parsons was 2-of-3 on offense. Lexi Quagliana was 1-of-2 with three crucial RBIs.
Potsdam crossed the plate first after three hits in the first inning but BSU responded with a run of their own as Congelosi scored on a line drive double, courtesy of Pyszczek.
Pyszczek scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third after getting on base because of a dropped pop fly from the shortstop. Quagliana had a sacrifice fly to score Pyszczek and lead 2-1.
Potsdam scored in the top of the fifth on a wild pitch to tie the game up at two-apiece before Buff State put up a crooked number in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-2 advantage.
Quagliana hit a single with runners on second and third base and no outs to score both runners.
Neither team generated any runs in the final two innings, and game one ended in favor of the Bengals.
Game 2, W 8-0
The Bengals were finally on the “right side” of the mercy rule, as their offense exploded for 13 hits and eight runs to finish the Bears in five innings. Potsdam had two hits and Madison Lucas got the win in the circle with seven strikeouts.
Congelosi was 2-for-3 with three-runs scored and Parsons was 2-for-3 with one-run scored and an RBI. Pyszczek was 2-for-2 with two RBIs while Kenzie Scott was 1-of-2 with three RBIs and one-run scored. No one on the roster struck out.
Congelosi scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first after she got on base from a bad throw and stole second, before a single from Pyszczek scored her. Congelosi scored again in the bottom of the third to lead 2-0 over the Bears after Parsons hit a single to score her.
Scott hit a three-run homerun in the fourth inning to lead 5-0, before a bunt from Mya Hurley and a throwing error scored Congelosi. A sacrifice fly scored Hurley, and Parsons scored an unearned run with two outs to lead 8-0.
The Bears failed to rally and keep the game going, thus the Bengals executed the mercy rule for the win.
Buffalo State returns to action on April 14 against SUNY Plattsburgh. The doubleheader will take place at the Sports Complex at the Color Park in Buffalo with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
