Defense Dooms Softball In Season-Ending Sweep By Cobleskill St.

COBLESKILL, N.Y. – Pitcher Lorelei Meier (Caledonia, N.Y.) allowed only one earned run on the afternoon, but six unearned runs doomed the Wells College softball team as they dropped both ends of a Sunday doubleheader against the Fighting Tigers of SUNY Cobleskill. Needing to sweep the doubleheader to qualify for the North Eastern Athletic Conference postseason, the Express conclude their season at 8-14 overall alongside a program-record eight victories in conference play. The Fighting Tigers finish their year at 18-16 overall while posting a 12-8 record against league opponents.

Wells dropped the first game of the doubleheader by a 6-3 margin before coming out on the losing end of a 1-0 pitching duel in the second tilt. The second game was the first one run game played in Wells history since Apr. 21, 2011, a 1-0 loss to the Mustangs of Morrisville State College.

The Express scored their only three runs of the game in the first inning of the first game as Meier led off the game with a double. A single by Paige Stone (Madison, N.Y.) plated Meier, who had earlier advanced to third on a groundout by freshman Kylie Nishioka (Encinitas, Calif.). The big blow in the frame came off the bat of freshman Lindsay Achzet (Johnstown, N.Y.) – the Wells shortstop socked a two-run home run to deep left center field to account for the inning's final two runs.

Achzet's home run ties her for the Wells College program lead in career home runs with three other players, including Stone. She also ties Stone and one other player for the single season record of three long balls to her credit.

Cobleskill utilized at least one Wells error in each inning that they scored a run. Meier allowed her only earned run of the day in the home half of the fourth inning as left fielder Erin Wadsworth ripped a solo home run to lead off the inning. The remaining runs were plated as a direct result of Express miscues in the field.

In game two, Cobleskill scored the lone run of the game in the first inning after two Express errors in the stanza allowed the go-ahead run to reach base, advance to third and later score on a Wadsworth single. Wells posted only one hit in the second game – Kendrick Wilson (Collins, N.Y.) broke up Wadsworth's no-hitter bid in the top of the seventh inning with two outs.

Meier was saddled with two losses on the afternoon, allowing only 10 hits in 12 innings of work while striking out four batters. Cobleskill pitchers collected two victories, despite allowing the same number of hits (10) and allowing more earned runs (3).

This afternoon's series of games marked the final collegiate appearances for Meier and Stone, both of whom will graduate this Spring.

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