Facing an offensive powerhouse in Oneonta State, the Lady Red Hawks dropped two yesterday against the Dragons in an afternoon doubleheader. The relatively young RPI softball team was unable to find a solution against the Oneonta State pitching, while their own pitching was rocked for a total of 8 runs over the two games.
In the first game, the Red Hawks faced a formidable pitcher in starter Sandra Moxley, who held RPI to only four hits in a complete game effort. Rensselaer’s only run came in the second inning, when Freshman Outfielder Laura Feeney singled to right, scoring Centerfielder Melissa Fratine from third.
The Dragons scored in the second, third, and sixth, pegging RPI starter Shannon Smith for 4 runs on nine hits over seven innings of work.
In the second game, Smith was forced to pitch for the Red Hawks again. RPI is short on strong pitching this year after losing Suzi Vnenchak, school record-holder for best win-loss percentage in a single season, and all-time Rensselaer ERA leader Larina Suker to graduation. She stepped up to the challenge, though, holding the Dragons to only 1 run through five innings before Freshman Nicole Gelbman hammered a 3-run double in the sixth that went over the outfielder’s head and rolled all the way to the fence in dead center.
That hit proved to be enough to outdo the Red Hawks, who again managed only a single run, scoring this one in the third when Sophomore Third Baseman Christine Connolly’s ground out got Sophomore Outfielder Sarah Jurta home.
A bright spot at the end of the game came from star Junior Shortstop Stacy Eisenman, who took over at pitcher for the tiring Smith at the start of the seventh inning. Eisenman, who isn’t a regular hurler for the team, got the Dragons to go down 1-2-3, thanks in large part to some strong defense behind her.
