Aurora, N.Y.: The SUNY Cobleskill softball team opened their 2019 North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) season on Friday evening by sweeping a pair of league contests from The Express of Wells College by scores of 6-0 and 10-7. With the wins the Fighting Tigers now move to 3-7 overall on the season including a 2-0 record in NEAC action while Wells is now 1-9 overall with a 0-2 record in league play.

In the first game, Fighting Tiger sophomore left hander Rachel Hall, Greenwich, N.Y., Greenwich High School, dominated the action throwing her second consecutive shutout victory by scattering four hits while striking out two and walking two.

Hall was also an offensive force in the victory going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and RBI while senior third baseman Mackenzie Holbert, Sauquoit, N.Y., New Hartford High School/Herkimer Community College, went 2-for-4 with a triple, a pair of RBI and a run scored. Junior left fielder Quesha Sells, Cobleskill, N.Y., Cobleskill-Richmondville High School, was also a factor in the win going 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored.

In the nightcap, the Fighting Tigers fell behind 5-1 after the first inning then spent the next several innings playing catch-up trailing 6-3 after three innings before flashing some serious lumber in the fourth inning posting a four-run frame to take a 7-6 lead. The Orange & Black then added a pair of runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 9-6 from which they never looked back.
 With all of the offense on display in the game; the key to the Cobleskill win came from the mound where freshman right hander Arielle Kranbruhl, Booneville, N.Y., Adirondack High School, came out of the bullpen to pitch five innings of relief allowing only one earned run on two hits striking out three and walking only one to post her first collegiate victory.

The Fighting Tiger offensive muscle in the win was provided by freshman second baseman Alyssa Villielm, Rifton, N.Y., Kingston High School, who went 2-for-3 with: with three runs scored, two RBI, a home run, a stolen base and a walk and by freshman center fielder Jillian Nitchman, Ballston Spa, N.Y., Ballston Spa High School, who was 2-for-5 with: a home run, two runs scored and a RBI. Playing first base in the game, Rachel Hall also continued to torment The Express at the plate going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI.

Cobleskill will return to action on Sunday March 31 when they travel to Keuka Park, N.Y. for a pair of NEAC games versus the Wolves of Keuka College beginning at 1:00 p.m.