GENESEO, N.Y. — Oswego State Softball takes the field after four full days off with a doubleheader on Friday, April 23rd in Geneseo at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. as the Lakers take on the Knights. Geneseo enters at 7-4 (5-3) and in sole possession of first place in SUNYAC West Division, Oswego comes in at 5-5 (4-4) and a chance to take first place in SUNYAC West with a doubleheader sweep. Oswego is in a tight battle in the division as there is currently a three way tie between Fredonia, Brockport, and Oswego heading into the doubleheader.
Oswego and Geneseo met at Laker Softball Field on Friday, April 9th when Geneseo swept the Lakers 9-1 and 5-0. Fiona Higgins was the best hitter in the doubleheader going 2-4 with the only Oswego RBI on the day. Nicole Schwartz and Lauren Kersch combined to throw all 12 innings on the day (game one was abbreviated to five innings due to mercy rule) allowing just five hits, one unearned run and 12 strikeouts. Oswego has gone 4-2 since being swept by Geneseo, and will look to keep some offense rolling into the weekend which features a Friday doubleheader at Geneseo, and a Saturday doubleheader at home versus Buffalo State.
Madison Hoeflich won SUNYAC Pitcher of the Week last week with a 2-0 record, Hoeflich threw 10 innings allowing just seven hits and three runs to get her season ERA down to 2.66. Hoeflich will likely be locked in a pitchers duel in one of the games against Schwartz who has a 1.17 ERA, or Kersch with a 2.68 ERA very similar to Hoeflich. Zoe Mennig is not only the best hitter for Oswego, but also one of the best in the SUNYAC. Mennig leads SUNYAC in batting average with a .545, tied for second in the conference with three home runs, and leads the team in RBIs with 12. Oswego Softball plays four games in two days starting with a doubleheader Friday, April 23rd at Geneseo at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
-
Oswego State baseball wins biggest series of Year
OSWEGO N.Y. — The biggest and most anticipated series of the season finally came for the Lakers. The #5 ranked Cortland Red Dragons travelled up 1-81 to take on the Lakers at the Laker Baseball Stadium. The three game set started with game one Friday afternoon, and games two and three Saturday.
Game one started fast, with the Red Dragons finding the scoreboard in the top off the first inning. A lead off single, was then moved to second on a sac bunt. The runner would score on an ensuing single, and the Red Dragons took an early 1-0 lead. In the top of the third the Red Dragons struck again. A lead off double would move to third on a pass ball in the next at bat. After a foul out, a fly out to center would be deep enough to score the runner and Cortland took a 2-0 lead. It was the bottom of the third when the Lakers finally struck. Paul Tammaro led off with a triple. Ryan Enos‘s double drove him home for the Lakers first run. After a strike out, Lukas Olsson hit a two run home-run to give the Lakers a 3-2 lead. After a scoreless fourth and fifth, the Red Dragons found the scoreboard again in the sixth. They crossed the plate three times, but the Lakers weren’t letting them keep it for long. A Ryan Weiss lead off homer got the scoring starting in the bottom of the sixth. Julian Drew then got hit by a pitch. Two groundouts moved Drew to third and he was brought home by a wild pitch. After a walk and a bunt single, Ryan Enos drove home the sixth run on a single to center. Cortland tied it a six in the top of the seventh. It took until the top of the tenth for any runs to be scored. A lead off single moved to second on a sac bunt. A double drove him home, and Cortland grabbed a 7-6 lead. In the top of the tenth, Frank Levanti reached on an error to start the inning. Paul Tammaro moved him to second on a sac bunt. A Ryan Enos walk put runners on first and second. Kyle Lauria grounded into a fielder’s choice putting runners at first and third for Lukas Olsson. Olsson walked it off with a three run bomb, Oswego winning 9-7. Paul Tammaro and Lukas Olsson led the team with three hits each. Olsson also led the team with 5 RBIs. Jacob Sanders got the start for the Lakers, throwing 5 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks, striking out three.
Game two of the series started just like the first, Cortland finding the scoreboard first. The first two batter of the inning would groundout, but three two-out singles brought home the first run of the game. Oswego answered right away. The first three batters for Oswego reached, loading the bases. A Lukas Olsson single brought home the first run for the Lakers, and the next at bat Ryan Weiss would clear the bases with a grand slam giving the Lakers a 5-1 lead after one. Cortland fought back in the second. The lead-off hitter reached on an error, and a home run in the next at bat brought the lead down to 5-3. In the bottom of the second, the first two batters would reach for Oswego. A Kyle Lauria single brought home the sixth run for the Lakers. After Lukas Olsson was intentionally walked, a passed ball brought home the seventh run. A few batters later, another passed ball brought home the final run if the inning for the Lakers. Cortland kept the pressure up in the third. A one-out grand slam brought the deficit down to 8-7. After all the fireworks of the first few frames, no runs were scored after the top of the third, and the Lakers won the seven inning game one of the double header. Paul Tammaro led the Lakers in hits, going 4-4 and scoring two runs. Ryan Weiss‘s four RBIs were enough to lead the Lakers. Kyle Finnegan got the start for Oswego, going 5.1 innings. He allowed eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits and two walks, striking out two. He was relieved by Ben Wilcox who pitched the final 1.2 innings allowing one hit and striking out three.
The final game of the series had the Lakers looking for their brooms going for the sweep. Unlike the previous two games, the first run wasn’t scored until the bottom of the fifth inning. Tim Shinto was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He would score in the next at bat on a series of errors by Cortland. Two consecutive walks would load the bases for Kyle Lauria who would also walk, to bringing home the second run. Lukas Olsson would follow the third consecutive walk with a grand slam, giving the Lakers a 6-0 lead. Cortland found their stride in the top of the sixth, bringing home four runs. Oswego scored two in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 8-4. A scoreless seventh and eight led to the top of the ninth. A lead-off walk was followed by a two run homer, bringing the lead down to 8-6. Three straight walks, loaded the bases, and a wild pitch brought home the seventh run, with still no outs. Another walk reloaded the bases, before the Lakers finally got the first out on a strike out. A passed ball allowed the another runner to score, tying the game. A another strike out, was followed by a single, bringing home two, and Cortland took the lead 10-8. Oswego got two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn’t get them across the plate, and the late rally by Cortland getting them the win and avoiding a sweep. Three Lakers tied for the lead in hits with 2. Lukas Olsson led the way with six RBIs. Anthony Van Fossen got the start on the mound for Oswego. He pitched 5.2 innings, allowing four runs, all earned, on seven hits and no walks, striking out three.
The Lakers are now 24-8 (13-2 SUNYAC). Oswego has four games left this season, a mid-week matchup with #20 St. John Fisher at home, and final three game set with the Fredonia Blue Devils in Fredonia next weekend. As of May 3, the Lakers climbed up to #14 in the country, and Cortland fell to #13 after the losses to the Lakers.
IMAGE COURTESY OF OSWEGO ATHLETICS
-
Oswego State men’s hockey hosts semifinals of SUNYAC Championship
OSWEGO, N.Y. — The SUNYAC Championship for men’s hockey kicked off this past Saturday with two quarterfinal games, one in Cortland and the other up in North Country. Oswego State received a bye to semifinals round due to their performance in the regular season. The Lakers are the two seed in the bracket this season and after Saturday’s results, Oswego State will host SUNY Cortland to decide who will fight for the conference championship.
2021-22 Season Recap:
At the end of the regular season, the Lakers finished with an overall record of 17-6-1 and a SUNYAC conference record of 12-3-1 which was good for second in the conference standings. While in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena, Oswego State is 8-3-0 on home ice. The group started off 0-2 after two losses opening weekend against two nationally ranked nonconference opponents, Hobart College and Elmira College. The Lakers would go one a streak after that contest only dropping games against nationally ranked opponents like SUNY Geneseo and Augsburg University.
The team’s offense has been through senior captain Travis Broughman who was recently named to All-SUNYAC First Team due to his performance in the regular season. The Laker forward finished with thirteen goals and sixteen assists totaling to twenty nine points in only twenty four regular season games. Alex DiCarlo finished right behind his captain as was the only other Oswego State player that was above a point per game. The junior finished with thirteen goals and twelve assists for twenty five points.
Newcomers Connor Sleeth, Tyler Flack, and Tommy Cahill have been bright spots in the lineup after breaking out their first season in the green and gold uniform. The three combined for a total of forty eight points this season. Shane Bull also totaled twelve points in his first season in NCAA Division III men’s hockey.
On the defensive side of the puck, senior netminder Steven Kozikoski was named to the All-SUNYAC Second Team due to his performances in the regular season while in between the pipes for Oswego State. The Liverpool native logged over one thousand minutes of ice time and posted statistics like a 2.00 goals against average and a .926 save percentage. Backup goaltender Eric Green played in eight contests for the Lakers and finished with a 2.15 goals against average and a .889 save percentage.
SUNYAC Playoffs Preview:
Wednesday evening, SUNY Brockport will travel to SUNY Geneseo to face off against the number one seed and nationally ranked Ice Knights in a semifinal contest. Brockport defeated Plattsburgh State in overtime by a score line of 6-5. If Geneseo can get the job against the Golden Eagles, the Geneseo Ice Knights will host the Championship game once again in the IRA.
In terms of Oswego State hockey, the Lakers take on the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons for the 96th time in program history. This season, Oswego State defeated Cortland both times in the regular season, securing six points against the Red Dragons. Oswego State holds the history in their favor with a record against SUNY Cortland of 82-11-2 all time. Their first contest dates back to the 1976-77 season when Oswego State defeated SUNY Cortland by a score of 6-2 on home ice.
The matchup in the Marano Campus Center should feature an offensive team against some solid goaltending out of SUNY Cortland. The Lakers score on average 3.5 times per game while opponents can only net an average of 2.1 against Oswego State. In terms of Cortland, the Red Dragons score an average of 3.3 goals per game.
Game Details:
Oswego State Laker fans can catch the playoff game at 7:00 p.m. in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. The first 500 SUNY Oswego Students will receive a gold Oswego State Lakers t-shirt courtesy of Oswego State Athletics. WTOP 10 will be live at 6:30 p.m. with the pre-game show live from the perch inside the arena. Fans can tune in at twitch.tv/wtop10tv on any mobile device, laptop, or television.
Image Provided By William Rogers, WTOP 10 Photography Department
-
Oswego State Baseball Travels to Cortland for SUNYAC Championship
OSWEGO, N.Y. — Oswego Baseball goes on the road to Cortland for the SUNYAC Baseball Championship on Friday, May 21st at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., with a game three on Saturday, May 22nd at 12:00 p.m. if necessary. Oswego and Cortland have not played against each other the past two seasons, but the teams are familiar with each other as this will be the fifth straight tournament that the Lakers and Red Dragons meet in the finals. Cortland won the tournament back in 2015 and 2016, but Oswego claimed the crown in 2018 and 2019. Weather cancelled the 2017 tournament resulting in top seeded Oswego to be crowned the champions, and COVID cancelled the 2020 tournament. Oswego will look to claim its 16th overall title and 4th in a row, while Cortland seeks its 35th overall championship.
Friday’s games will also mark the first time there have been fans permitted at a SUNYAC game since March 2020, as SUNY Cortland campus is now open to visitors and New York State has reduced restrictions on social distancing. Fans will only be able to attend if they are on an official list collected by the conference office. Each school was allowed to submit a list of 150 fans, bringing the game total to 300 spectators. Since the attendance is below 500, spectators do not need to provide a negative COVID-19 test or show a vaccination card. Fans are required to adhere to CDC, New York State, and SUNY Cortland COVID-19 guidelines.
#21 Oswego comes in at 23-3 (14-2 SUNYAC) after a 8-2 and 11-4 sweep over Oneonta in Oswego last weekend in the semifinals. Cortland, ranked one spot behind Oswego comes in at #22 nationally with a 25-5 (14-2 SUNYAC) record. Last weekend Cortland also got a semifinal sweep in the form of 11-4 and 3-1 wins over Brockport. There have been eight weeks of the season, which means eight SUNYAC Baseball Athlete of the Week awards, as well as eight SUNYAC Pitcher of the Week awards. Oswego has claimed four of the sixteen awards in the form of three position players and one pitcher, and Cortland has won five awards by four position players and one pitcher.
Oswego takes on Cortland in the SUNYAC Baseball Championship at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 21st at Cortland. If necessary, game three will be played on Saturday, May 22nd at noon. The winner gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament which kicks off next week.
Image Provided By William Rogers, WTOP 10 Photography Department
