Oneonta, NY: The SUNY Cobleskill softball team split their non-conference doubleheader against Hartwick College on Tuesday evening at the Cooperstown All-Star Village. The Fighting Tigers dropped a tight 8-7 decision in the opener before roaring back with an 11-3 victory in the nightcap.
 
Game One: Cobleskill 7, Hartwick 8
The SUNY Cobleskill softball team erupted for seven runs in the seventh inning to take a late lead, but Hartwick responded with four runs in the bottom half to steal an 8-7 walk-off victory in game one of their non-conference matchup on Tuesday.
 
Senior Mackenzie Wendelken (Stuyvesant, NY/Ichabod Crane) led the charge, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Brook Irizarry (Florida, NY/S.S. Seward) delivered a clutch 2-for-4 performance, including a double and two RBIs. Kylie Rattigan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) laced a key two-run double, finishing 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Hannah Dean (Ripley, ME/Dexter) added a 2-for-4 effort with an RBI.
 
First-year pitcher Gabriella Wendelken (Stuyvesant, NY/Ichabod Crane) went the distance for Cobleskill, battling through 6.1 innings while allowing eight runs on 15 hits and striking out five.
 
Hartwick took control early, scratching across runs in the first, third, fourth, and fifth innings to build a 4-0 lead. The Fighting Tigers were held in check until the top of the seventh when their bats roared to life.
 
Rattigan ignited the rally with a double to center field, plating Kaylee DiGiacco (Spencerport, NY) and Dean to cut the deficit to 4-2. Two batters later, first-year Avery Prievo (Camden, NY) smashed a double to center, bringing home Rattigan to make it 4-3. Wendelken then ripped a single to left-center, driving in Prievo to knot the score at 4-4.
 
With the momentum shifting, Irizarry stepped up and hammered a two-run double, scoring both Wendelken sisters to give Cobleskill its first lead of the game. She later came around to score on a Hartwick miscue, putting the Fighting Tigers ahead 7-4.
 
However, the Hawks had an answer in the bottom of the inning. A two-run single followed by a wild pitch allowed Hartwick to tie the game at 7-7 before a sacrifice fly brought in the winning run, sealing the walk-off victory.
 
Game Two: Cobleskill 11, Hartwick 3
The SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers exploded for a seven-run second inning en route to an emphatic 11-3 victory over Hartwick College, securing a split in their road doubleheader.
 
Senior Mackenzie Wendelken achieved a career milestone in the win, recording her 100th career hit. Wendelken finished the game a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate, driving in two runs and scoring once. Rattigan was another standout performer, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored while flashing the leather with a flawless outing at second base. Dean stayed hot, collecting two RBIs, while Laci Prignon (Dryden, NY) chipped in a solid 2-for-3 effort with one RBI and one run scored. Gabriella Wendelken added to the offensive fireworks with a double, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
 
On the mound, Madelynn Orosz (Seymour, CT/Nonnewaug) delivered a strong performance, improving to 2-0 on the season. The second-year hurler went the distance, tossing six innings of three-run ball while scattering six hits and striking out three.
 
Cobleskill wasted no time setting the tone, using a monster second inning to seize control of the game. The scoring spree began when DiGiacco singled to left field, plating Prignon for the game's first run. Moments later, Samantha Bargren (Wilmington, DE/Brandywine) capitalized on a wild pitch to extend the lead. Rattigan then stepped up and roped a clutch base hit to bring home DiGiacco and Prievo, making it 4-0. Gabriella Wendelken followed with a laser double to left, scoring Rattigan to push the lead to 5-0. Prignon capped the inning with a big swing, ripping a shot to right field that brought both Wendelken sisters across the plate and gave the Tigers a commanding 7-0 advantage.
 
Hartwick managed to get on the board in the third inning with a run, but Cobleskill quickly countered. In the bottom half of the inning, Mackenzie Wendelken came through with a two-run single, driving in DiGiacco and Bargren to extend the lead to 9-1.
 
The Hawks attempted to claw back in the fourth, scoring two runs to trim the deficit to 9-3, but Orosz shut the door to prevent further damage. The Fighting Tigers then put the game away in the sixth inning, invoking the run rule. Dean reached on an error but picked up two RBIs in the process, as Irizarry and Rattigan crossed the plate to seal the 11-3 victory.
 
Up Next:
The Tigers return to action on Friday, March 28, as the host Elmira College in their home opener at 3:00 p.m. in a non-conference clash.