OSWEGO, N.Y. – FredoniaState improved to 6-0 in the SUNYAC, its best conference start ever, with 6-4 and 5-2 wins Friday over Oswego. It was also the sixth straight win by the Blue Devils, who improved to 18-2.
The Blue Devils rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the final inning of the first game, then scored four runs in the top of the first of the second game and hung on for the win.
Katie Bartkowiak had two hits and three RBI in the first game, and two more hits in the second game. Michelle Lattner also had two hits in each game, while Lauren Larson was 3 for 3 with three RBI in the nightcap.
Ashley LaPorta picked up a save in each game. She worked a scoreless inning in game one after Raela Wiley (3-0) retired all three batters she faced after Oswego took a 4-2 lead in the last of the sixth of Game One. LaPorta relieved Alyssa Brognano (6-1) in the sixth inning of Game Two and retired five of six batters, two on strikes.
In the opener, the Blue Devils jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a walk to Julie Arnold, a wild pitch, an RBI double by Anne Wasik, and an RBI single by Bartkowiak. Danielle Shelp held the Lakers (5-12 overall, 1-5 SUNYAC) scoreless through the first three innings. She allowed a run in the fourth before running into trouble in the sixth. After the first four batters reached base, and three of them scored, Shelp exited and Wiley came on to retire to put out the fire.
An Oswego error began FredoniaState's seventh inning. Lattner followed with a single halfway up the fence in right. Arnold split the gap for a double to left-center to score one run. Pinch-hitter Jamie Atkins walked to load the bases and Rachel Burrows singled to tie the game at 4-4. Bartkowiak then cracked a two-run single as the Blue Devils took the lead before LaPorta closed out the game. She pitched around two errors before inducing a pop out into foul ground which third baseman Brittany Lis tracked down.
A single by Bartkowiak, a stolen base, and an RBI double by Tina Schwartzmeyer staked the Blue Devils to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the second game. Before the inning was over, Lattner had an RBI single and Larson a two-run double for a 4-0 Blue Devil lead. The Blue Devils added to their lead with one run in the fifth. Hannah Vesneske walked to lead off the inning and eventually scored on another single by Larson.
Oswego scored both of its runs in the sixth inning off Brognano. An error and three hits plated the runs. LaPorta came on with runners on first and third and one out, but got out of the jam, then worked a scoreless seventh inning.
The Blue Devils on Saturday visit Cortland, ranked No. 20 in NCAA Division III. The Red Dragons are 4-0 in the conference. The first game starts at 1 p.m.
