The softball team finished their season with an overall record of 19-16 and State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) tally of 9-9.
The Hawks record was not enough to clinch a playoff berth in the 2015 SUNYAC Tournament. However, it was nine wins better than last year’s finish.
On Friday, April 24, the Hawks began a six-game homestand to close out the season as they split a doubleheader with SUNY Geneseo.
In the first game, the Hawks defeated the Knights 4-2. Second-year pitcher Katie Rutcofsky earned the win, yielding two runs off 11 hits, a walk and a hit by pitch while striking out two in six innings of work. Rutcofsky also added to the Hawks’ offense by hitting a two-run home run in the second inning — the first of her career. Second-year pitcher Taylor Corwin was credited with the save, tossing one hitless inning of relief.
This snapped the Knights’ 18-game winning streak.
In the nightcap, the Hawks lost a 7-2 game in nine innings.
In the bottom half of the seventh, the Hawks were thrown out at home in back-to-back at-bats following base hits, and the score remained tied to force extra innings.
In the ninth inning, the Knights broke a 2-2 tie score by plating five runs.
Fourth-year co-Captain Meg Brewer batted 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double to lead the Hawks offense.
The following day, the Hawks dropped both games of a doubleheader to The College at Brockport.
In the first game, the Hawks fell 8-1.
Hawks’ third-year third baseman Nicole DeCosta drove in the lone New Paltz run of the game.
Second-year co-Captain Kiersten Carlomagno and first-year first baseman and pitcher Lauren Cappello paced the New Paltz bats by going 2-for-4 and 2-for-3, respectively.
The next game, the Golden Eagles shutout the Hawks 5-0. A pair of hits by the Hawks were the only offense of the game.
With the pair of losses, the Hawks were officially eliminated from postseason contention.
SUNY Fredonia clinched the sixth and final playoff spot with 10 wins in conference play, while the Hawks recorded one less.
The Hawks’ came out on top as they took both games of a nonconference doubleheader against Brooklyn College on April 27.
In the first game, the Hawks earned a 7-1 victory.
Hawks’ fourth-year co-Captain Shayna Burgess went 2-for-2 on the game with three runs scored, two hit by pitches and a triple, while Brewer went 2-for-4 with three RBI, a double and a run scored. First-year shortstop Samantha Colca came off the bench to bat 2-for-2 with one run scored and a double.
Fourth-year first baseman and pitcher Erika Traina earned the win in the circle for the Hawks, yielding one unearned run off four hits and a walk while striking out four.
The nightcap saw the Hawks walkoff with a 5-4 win to conclude their season.
Hawks’ first-year outfielder Danielle Bruno brought in fourth-year outfielder Juliette Verso who crossed the plate with the winning run in the home half of the seventh inning.
Traina earned her second win of the day in relief duty, scattering just two hits in two and one-thirds innings of work on the mound. Traina finished the season recording a 5-4 record. Her ERA of 2.65 was a career low this season.
Burgess finished out her career with 64 hit by pitches. Burgess closed out the year with 20 hit by pitches, which is tied for the sixth-most absorbed by a player in Div. III history in a single season.
Brewer finishes her career with a .297 batting average.
Head Coach Brittany Robinson said the Hawks need to learn how to be consistent throughout the entire season.
“We have to figure out how to maintain,” Robinson said. “At the beginning of the year we started off really strong, and we didn’t finish as strong as we started. We have to figure out how to continue our strong starts and maintain it through the season instead of falling off at the end.”
Five fourth-years will be graduating this year, including Brewer, Burgess, Traina and outfielders Alex Verso and her sister Juliette.
Robinson said she is going to miss their work ethic among their personalities.
“They come to practice wanting to work every day and try to get better,” she said. “I’m going to miss them as people. They were definitely good leaders for our team and their personalities will be missed.”
