Naples, FL: The SUNY Cobleskill softball team kicked off their 2025 season at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Florida on Saturday, falling to Westfield State University and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in their opening-day matchups.

Game One: Westfield State 9, Cobleskill 1

The Fighting Tigers opened their season against Westfield State, falling 9-1 as they faced strong pitching from the Owls.

Aliyah Neeser (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake Area) led Cobleskill at the plate, going 1-for-2 and scoring the team's lone run. Hannah Dean (Ripley, ME/Dexter) added a hit in two at-bats, while Mackenzie Wendelken (Stuyvesant, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) recorded Cobleskill's only RBI with a sixth-inning double. Second-year outfielder Jenna Smyczynski (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) swiped a base for the Tigers.

First-year pitcher Gabriella Wendelken (Stuyvesant, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) made her collegiate debut in the circle, taking the loss while striking out two. The Fighting Tigers tallied four hits but surrendered 11 to the Owls.

Westfield State took control early, plating two runs in the first inning before adding another on a sacrifice fly in the second. Cobleskill showed signs of life when Smyczynski reached and stole third, but they couldn't bring her home. The Owls continued to apply pressure, pushing their lead to 5-0 by the third. A highlight for Cobleskill came in the frame when the Tigers turned a crisp double play to escape further damage.

The Owls broke the game open in the sixth with four more runs. Cobleskill avoided the shutout in the bottom of the inning when Mackenzie Wendelken roped a line-drive double to bring home Neeser.

Game Two: RIT 18, Cobleskill 0

The Fighting Tigers ran into a red-hot RIT lineup in their second game of the day, falling 18-0.

Gabriella Wendelken continued to swing a steady bat, going 1-for-1, while Madelynn Orosz (Seymour, CT/Nonnewaug) and Kylie Rattigan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) each chipped in a hit. On the mound, Jaydaci Chamberlain (Northborough, MA/Norfolk County Ag.) took the loss after 2.2 innings of work, allowing 10 hits. First-year pitcher Brielle Dixon (Millville, NJ) made her collegiate debut in relief, surrendering six hits and four runs.

RIT struck early with two runs in the first inning. Cobleskill had a chance to respond in the second after back-to-back singles, but the Tigers left both runners stranded. With the score still within reach at 2-0, RIT erupted for 12 runs in the third inning to put the game out of reach. They tacked on four more in the fourth, sealing the Tigers' fate.

Cobleskill showed some late fight in the fifth when Orosz and Rattigan reached base, but RIT closed the door to secure the win.


Up Next
The Fighting Tigers look to bounce back on day two of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic, taking on La Roche University at 9:00 a.m. before facing the University of Wisconsin-Superior at 11:00 a.m. in Fort Myers, Florida.