Photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics
The Ramapo College softball team completed a two-game sweep against SUNY Oneonta on Wednesday, March 24. The Roadrunners won their first game 4-3, and then shut the Red Dragons out 8-0.
During the first game, rookie Harper Patsko blasted her first home run in the second inning, a two-run shot into center field to put the Roadrunners at a two-run lead. The Red Dragons got one back in the third when Ashley Lefebvre smacked a double to score one run.
Ramapo scored in the fifth inning when Christina Brizek slammed a double down the right field line and later scored on a single from senior Melanie Walling to make the score 3-1.
Oneonta tied the game up in the sixth inning before Ramapo scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Junior Nicole Mahoney led the inning off with a double to right field before running to third on a fly ball. Sophomore Ally Spellman ripped a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Mahoney to score.
Ramapo’s starting pitcher, sophomore Katrina Buczkowski had six strikeouts, no walks and six hits. Walling and Mahoney both earned two hits apiece.
In the second game of the day, Ramapo shut out Oneonta 8-0 in only five innings. Brizek (6-1) started in the circle, tossing a thee-hitter with three strikeouts.
Ramapo scored all of their runs in the bottom of the third. Spellman got things started with a leadoff single. Both Saporito and Brizek then dropped bunt singles to load the bases with no outs. After a change of the pitcher, senior Melissa Moreno hit a single through the left side of the infield to allow Spellman to score. Saprito scored on a wild pitch before Melendez walked, allowing Brizek to score to make the Roadrunners 3-0. Mahoney then shot a single, allowing Moreno to score before Walling and Melendez both came home after back-to-back wild pitches. Patsko added an RBI, while Saporito hit a double and extended Ramapo’s lead to 8-0.
Ramapo held Oneonta scoreless in the final two innings. Ramapo had nine hits as Saporito and Moreno recorded multi-hit games with two hits each.
When asked about the double-header, head coach Bridgette Quimpo attributed the wins to many different players.
“Our pitching has been great,” said Quimpo. “Harper Patsko’s two-run homer in the second inning was clutch, Nicole Mahoney’s adjustments at the plate and quality at bats by the entire lineup help us win these games. We played well and our preparation had a lot to do with our success.”
Quimpo thinks the sweep over Oneonta helped her team prepare to face their NJAC rivals Stockton University on April 2.
“After defeating a respected team like Oneonta, it was a great test as we begin NJAC play,” she said. “Coming off two great wins helps our confidence going into Stockton this Saturday. It will be about how we prepare for them this week and continue to work hard and stay focused.”
The Roadrunners will take on Stockton in a double-header on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m., to open up the NJAC season.
rcarillo@ramapo.edu
