SEAN MCGRATH
Sports Editor
Softball falls victim to Red Dragon explosion
Fredonia women’s softball fell victim to two consecutive seven-run innings to start their game in a 15-1 loss in SUNYAC playoffs to the Cortland Red Dragons.
Senior Kelsey Gannett was jumped on from the get-go, giving up seven hits and seven runs to blow the game open in the first inning. After being relieved by junior Aldyn Carlson, the hits kept coming, and this game was 14-1 in the second inning. Carlson gave up seven runs on five hits in her one inning on the mound.
Carlson then gave up the mound to freshman Megan Degroat, who finished off the remaining two innings, giving up one hit to the Red Dragons.
The Blue Devils were kept to only six hits through five innings of batting. Freshman Nikki Lent; juniors Alyssa Morgan, Lindsey Forness, and Kim Lotocki; and seniors Cherise Gunnell and Jess Lauck each contributed one hit in the loss. Morgan was the lone Blue Devil run.
In their second game, the Blue Devils battled a 3-0 trail and then a 7-0 deficit en route to a 10-1 loss against the Brockport Golden Eagles.
Gannett earned the start again, giving up seven runs and as many hits in her two innings she pitched. She then was relieved by Degroat, who finished off the the final two innings.
Earning the six hits yet again for the Blue Devils was Forness with two, and one hit apiece from Morgan, Lent, junior Madeline Medina and freshman Maggie Paras.
Fredonia softball finished this season with an overall record of 13-18 and looks to regroup and begin to prepare for next season come next Fall.
Women’s 4X400 tops weekend of SUNYAC Championships in Brockport
The Fredonia Blue Devils women’s 4X400 team’s first ever SUNYAC title in the event was just a capstone of an impressive outing by the Blue Devils.
The relay, led by freshman Brittany Feldman, juniors Laura Morrison and Anna Dambacher and senior Kim Foltz, has had success all season long, but it was the near four second ahead finish that really mattered, finishing with a time of 3:56.16 to earn the title on day 2 of the championship.
Junior Lauren Kotas finished fourth in the 3000-meter steeplechase, earning a time of 11:26.83. During her indoor tenure, Kotas earned the title for this event during the indoor season.
On day one, the Blue Devils showed great improvement, coming at the right time.
Dambacher improved her season bests with a 25.50 finish in the 200-meter and a 12.41 finish in the 100-meter. Both times were drops from her then-current season bests.
Junior Olivia Kurbs earned a second place finish in the pole vault with a height of 3.42 meters.
Senior Nicole Desens threw for a fifth place finish in the hammer throw, earning points with a 44.08 meter throw. Desens would also take home a title in the discus throw with a throw of 42.56 meters on day two.
Senior Meghan Devine also added to the Blue Devils points with a 29.44 meter javelin throw, good for a sixth place finish.
On the men’s side, freshman Chase Towse set a new personal best in the 400-meter hurdles event, with a time of 56.66 for fourth place and good enough to earn a slot in the finals on Saturday. He would end up finishing Saturday with an eighth place finish in the same event.
Juniors Sawyer Bell and Hsin Chin would place fourth and sixth, respectively, in the hammer throw events. Bell threw for 48.60 meters, while Chin managed a 47.36 meter throw.
Through both days, Fredonia placed fairly well, and has some medals to show for it. They wrap up their season this weekend, heading to Meadsville, Pennsylvania, for the Gator Invitational in Allegheny College.