By: Zachary Harnischfeger
POTSDAM, NY-- The Brockport Golden Eagles softball team started a four-game SUNYAC weekend against the Potsdam Bears on Friday afternoon. Both mental and physical errors plagued the Golden Eagles leading to two losses.
"The biggest thing we have to do is cohesively play together," Brockport head coach Mary Karen Wheat said. "We have moments where we gel and then we have moments where we are not gelling. We encourage them to work on that piece and focus inning after inning and at-bat to at-bat."
Game One
The Golden Eagles got off to a fast start in game one. Second basemen Riley Barrett scored on a throwing error by Potsdam third basemen Rebecca Holmes to give Brockport the early 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, designated player Oliva Simone singled and drove in center fielder Kellie Gentile to make it a 2-0 game.
In the bottom of the third inning, Simone brought home Gentile on a groundout to extend the Brockport lead to 3-0.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Potsdam Bears had an offensive explosion scoring six runs to make it a 6-3 game. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Second basemen Kaylee Dobransky scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 7-3.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Golden Eagles did not go down quietly. After a leadoff double by pinch hitter Grace Talbut, right fielder Jackie DuTot doubled and drove in shortstop Natalie Fass, who pinch-ran for Talbut, to make it 7-4. Batting next, Tori Angelo singled and brought home DuTot to cut the deficit to 7-5. This would be the final score of the game.
"[DuTot] is carrying herself very positively," Brockport second basemen Caitlyn Dailey said. "She's always on the bench cheering and I feel like that cheering is just carrying onto the field and her at-bats."
Game Two
The Bears got off to a quick start in game two. In the bottom of the first inning, after a one-out double by right fielder Sophie Pleat, catcher Kelsey Bennett followed with a double of her own driving in Karissa Donnelly, who pinch ran for Pleat, to give the Bears the 1-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles answered right back in the top of the second inning after catcher Erin Dougherty scampered home on a wild pitch to tie the game at one apiece.
In the bottom of the second inning, after a two-out infield single by left fielder Emily Beck and Holmes reached on a fielding error by Faas, second basemen Kaylee Dobransky hit an infield single. Beck came around to score on the play after a throwing error by Dougherty, to make it a 2-1 game.
The Bears added on to their lead in the bottom of the third. Center fielder Danielle Moscarello hit a two-run single up the middle, scoring Bennett and shortstop Kaylee LaForest, extending the lead to 4-1.
In the top of the fourth inning, after DuTot reached second on a fielding error by Moscarello, Brockport third basemen Aubrey Ennis singled and brought home DuTot to cut the deficit to 4-2.
The Bears went on to score a combined six runs in the fourth and fifth innings to win the game 10-2 by mercy rule in five innings.
DuTot knows that the team has to put the losses behind them and believes that the team can win both games on Saturday.
"I think we just need to work together as a team," DuTot said. "Today, we were trying to focus on too much at once. If we just sit back and focus on the little things and do it together, I'm confident that we will take two tomorrow."
With the losses, Brockport drops to 8-20 overall and 2-8 in the conference. The Golden Eagles will be back in action tomorrow when they take on the Plattsburgh State Cardinals in more SUNYAC doubleheader action tomorrow afternoon at 3 and 5 p.m.