Fredonia senior Katelyn Dennis (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) homered twice in an 8-5 SUNYAC softball win Sunday over Plattsburgh.
The Blue Devils (9-20-1 overall, 3-11 SUNYAC) came within one out of sweeping the doubleheader, only to have the Cardinals use the long ball to rally for a 6-5 extra-inning win in the second game.
Dennis, who also homered Saturday vs. Potsdam, cleared the center-field fence in each of her first two at-bats as Fredonia built a 5-0 lead in support of sophomore right-hander Sam Seegar (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Starpoint), who improved to 5-9. Freshman right-hander Lauren Collorone (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) got the final two outs after Plattsburgh made some noise with four runs off Seegar in the top of the seventh.
The two homers give Dennis four on the season and a school-record 14 in her college career. In addition, junior third-baseman Cassie Herman (Maybrook, N.Y./Valley Central) had a double, two singles, scored two runs, and collected two RBI, while freshman Amber Piniewski (West Seneca, N.Y./Orchard Park) had an RBI.
Plattsburgh's seventh-inning rally included an RBI double by Felicia Torres and a three-run homer by Jennifer Groat. It was a sign of things to come for the Cardinals (13-14 overall, 5-5 SUNYAC). Down to their final out in Game 2, they forged a 5-5 tie on a two-run homer by Amanda Tantillo off Collorone which sent the game into extra innings. Groat hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth and Taylor Smith set the Blue Devils down in the bottom half of the ninth. Smith pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for the win, while Seegar took the loss in relief.
Fredonia junior Rhianna Paoletti (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) and freshman Alyssa Piniewski (West Seneca, N.Y./Orchard Park) had three hits each to lead the Fredonia offense. Herman and freshman Makenzie Keeler (Jamesville, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) had two hits each.
Next up for Fredonia is a non-conference home doubleheader Tuesday against Penn State Behrend starting at 3 p.m
