CLINTON, N.Y. (April 16, 2019) – SUNY Delhi softball met SUNY Poly Tuesday for a doubleheader at Hamilton College, with the Wildcats taking the opening game, 8-0, through six innings, while the Broncos got the last laugh with a 7-4 win in the latter contest. The winning teams in both games both utilized a five-run fifth inning to pull themselves to victories, as Delhi moved to 10-8 on the season.
Molly Greene pitched 7.2 innings on the day, including a complete-game victory in the nightcap for her seventh win in as many starts to improve to 7-3 on the year.
Head coach Meagan Hillard's team now turns around to play a road twin bill at Penn State Hazleton on Wednesday, beginning at 3:00 p.m.
POLY 8, DELHI 0 (SIX INNINGS)
Broncos starting pitcher Haylee Lefebvre battled Wildcat Kayla Maiolo in a pitchers duel to start, with the game scoreless after four innings. Lefebvre even worked out of a bases-loaded threat by Poly with one out in the second inning by getting the next two batters to pop out to the middle infield. But in the fifth, the Wildcats opened with three straight singles to again load the bases, which, this time, they would take advantage of. They got the first run on the next at bat on a fielder's choice, followed by an RBI single to make the score 2-0. With two runners on, Jordan Penoyer broke the game open with a laser to center field that just passed over the fence for a three-run homer to take a 5-0 lead after five. Molly Greene took over in the circle to secure the last out to end the fifth, but the Wildcats continued on in the sixth to end the game. With the bases again packed with one out, a wild pitch permitted another Poly run to come across to lead, 6-0. And once again, Penoyer stepped in to deliver the final blow with a two-RBI double to enforce the eight-run rule.
Lefebvre pitched 4.2 innings, giving up five earned runs on nine hits with one strikeout. Greene went the remaining 0.2 frames, allowing two earned runs on three hits. The Broncos were held to three hits in the game by Maiolo, who struck out five. Natasha Picozzi, Shelby Nolan and Sierra Keesler accounted for each of those hits.
DELHI 7, POLY 4
After two scoreless innings, the Broncos jumped on the board by scoring two in the third. With Jaylynn Sheppard on third and Natasha Picozzi on second, Mackenzie Sparacino hit a comebacker to Poly pitcher Jordan Penoyer, whose attempt to throw Sheppard out at home sailed over the catcher as Delhi took a 1-0 lead. Shelby Nolan brought home Picozzi on the next at bat to go up, 2-0. The Wildcats got one back in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead in half, only for the Broncos to pour it on in the fifth with five runs. With the bases loaded and one out, Sierra Keesler opened the scoring with a two-RBI single, followed by Lefebvre driving in another off a single. Now with Keesler at third and Lefebvre on second with two outs, Yesiliedy Paulino delivered a crucial two-RBI double down the right field line as Delhi grabbed a 7-1 lead.
The Wildcats would strike back with three runs over the next two innings. After getting one back in the fifth, Poly threatened in the sixth with the bases juiced and one out. Greene answered with a clutch looking strikeout to Chalee Wratten, one of her three K's for the game, but only got the third out after allowing a two-RBI single to pinch hitter Kayla Maiolo to escape the sixth with the Broncos ahead, 7-4. With a runner on first and one out in the bottom of the seventh, Delhi executed a 6-4-3 double play to put an exclamation point on its tenth win of the season.
Greene allowed four earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. The Broncos earned the win, despite only putting up six hits in the game. Paulino was 1-for-4 with one double and two RBIs, while Keesler was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Lefebvre 1-for-2 with an RBI. Nolan tallied the remaining RBI.