Cobleskill, NY: The SUNY Cobleskill softball team squared off against Russell Sage College in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday evening at Fighting Tiger Park. Despite a strong effort in game two, the Tigers came up just short in a 4-3 battle after falling 10-0 in the opener.

Game One: Cobleskill 0, Russell Sage 10
The Fighting Tigers (5-8-1) struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the opener, as the Gators (4-10) held them to just one hit in a 10-0, five-inning decision.

First-year Gabriella Wendelken (Stuyvesant, NY/Ichabod Crane) provided Cobleskill's lone hit, finishing 1-for-2 at the plate. In the circle, second-year Madelynn Orosz (Seymour, CT/Nonnewaug) took the loss (3-1), throwing 3.2 innings while allowing eight runs—only four earned—on 14 hits. Jaydaci Chamberlain (Northborough, MA/Norfolk County Ag.) came on in relief, pitching 1.1 innings with a strikeout while surrendering two runs on four hits.

Sage wasted no time getting on the board, scoring in each of the first two innings before breaking things open with a three-run third. They continued to apply pressure with three more in the fourth and two in the fifth to end the game via run rule.

The Tigers couldn't solve the Gators' pitching, which fanned six batters while keeping Cobleskill off the scoreboard.

Game Two: Cobleskill 3, Russell Sage 4
The Fighting Tigers showed resilience in game two, mounting a late rally before falling just short in a 4-3 battle as rain fell in the bottom of the seventh.

Aliyah Neeser (Forest Lake, Minn/Forest Lake Area) led the offense, going 1-for-3 with an RBI. Avery Prievo (Camden, NY) and Hannah Dean (Ripley, ME/Dexter) each finished 1-for-3 with a run scored, with Prievo roping a double. Kylie Rattigan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) and Brook Irizarry (Florida, NY/S.S. Seward) also chipped in RBIs.

On the mound, Gabriella Wendelken went the distance with a strong 7.0-inning effort. She allowed four runs—only one earned—on 11 hits while striking out one. The Tigers' defense, however, struggled in the wet conditions, committing four errors to Sage's one.

The Gators took advantage of a Cobleskill miscue to grab a 1-0 lead in the second. Wendelken kept them in check until the fifth, but Sage broke through with three hits to double their lead. They added two more in the sixth to make it 4-0.

Cobleskill refused to go quietly. In the bottom of the sixth, Rattigan sent a deep sacrifice fly to center, bringing home Prievo to put the Tigers on the board.

The seventh inning saw the Tigers claw their way even closer. Irizarry's RBI groundout plated Wendelken to cut it to 4-2, and Neeser followed with a clutch RBI single to score Dean, making it a one-run game with two outs on the board. But with the tying run on base, Sage's infield came up with the game-ending play on Kailee DiGiacco's (Spencerport, NY) grounder up the middle to escape with the win.

Up Next:
The Tigers return to action on Saturday, April 5, when they host SUNY Potsdam for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m