Naples, FL: The SUNY Cobleskill softball team wrapped up their Florida trip with a split doubleheader, falling to Bethany College before rebounding with a win over RIT to close out the week.
 
Game One: Bethany College 8, Cobleskill 1
The SUNY Cobleskill softball team faced a tough challenge on Wednesday morning, falling 8-1 to an undefeated Bethany College squad in Naples, Florida.
 
First-year outfielder Avery Prievo (Camden, NY) led the Cobleskill offense, slapping two hits in three trips to the plate. Brielle Dixon (Millville, NJ) helped the cause, driving in the Tigers' lone run with an RBI single in the fifth, while second-year left fielder Jenna Smyczynski (East Aurora, NY) added a hit of her own.
 
Dixon also handled pitching duties, battling through six innings despite taking the loss (0-2). She struck out three but was tagged for 10 hits and eight earned runs as Bethany's lineup found ways to capitalize with runners aboard.
 
The Bisons did their damage early, stringing together a series of clutch hits in the second inning, highlighted by a bases-clearing triple that put Cobleskill in a quick 3-0 hole. Bethany tacked on three more runs in the frame, capped by a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 6-0.
 
In the fourth, the Bisons sparked another scoring burst to extend Bethany's advantage to 8-0.
 
Cobleskill got on the board in the fifth when Kylie Rattigan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) worked a walk, moved into scoring position, and came home on Dixon's sharp single to left. The Tigers threatened again in the sixth, loading the bases after Prievo reached on a single and Rattigan drew another walk, but Bethany's defense slammed the door to keep Cobleskill from cutting further into the deficit.
 
Game Two: Cobleskill 11, RIT 9
Cobleskill's softball squad ended their spring break trip on a high note, outslugging RIT in an 11-9 thriller down in Florida.
 
Leading the charge for Cobleskill was Gabriella Wendelken (Stuyvesant, NY/Ichabod Crane), who showed her two-way talent by going 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs while also hurling a complete game, allowing 11 hits but fanning nine batters to secure the win.
 
Brook Irizarry (Florida, NY/S.S. Seward) brought the heat on offense, going 1-for-1 with two runs scored and a double. Madelynn Orosz (Seymour, CT/Nonnewaug) also stepped up, finishing 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, while Aliyah Neeser (Forest Lake, Minn.) chipped in a 1-for-3 performance with an RBI and two runs scored.
 
The game started as a pitcher's duel, with both sides trading zeroes in the opening frame. RIT broke through in the second, plating three runs thanks to timely hits and Cobleskill errors. The Fighting Tigers clawed back in their half of the inning when Wendelken sparked a rally, and Orosz drove her home with a shot to center field. Moments later, Hannah Dean (Ripley, ME/Dexter) brought home Prievo to trim the deficit to 3-2.
 
RIT added two more in the third, but Cobleskill responded with a two-run inning of their own to make it 5-4. Irizarry's aggressive baserunning tied things up in the fourth when she dashed home on a wild pitch to knot the score at 5-5.
 
The breakthrough inning came in the fifth, when the Tigers pounced for six runs. Neeser and Wendelken knocked key singles, while RIT miscues added to the chaos. By the time the dust settled, Cobleskill had surged ahead 11-6.
 
RIT made a late charge with three runs in the sixth, but Cobleskill's defense locked things down to preserve the win. Wendelken dug deep, finishing strong in the circle as the Fighting Tigers closed out their Florida trip with an exciting victory.
 
Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to action on March 25^th in their home opener against Hartwick College starting at 3:00 p.m. at the Fighting Tiger Park.