CANTON, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam softball team (7-10) defeated SUNY Canton (5-6) 9-5 in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday evening. The Bears were leading 5-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth when the game was suspended due to darkness. The contest will resume at a later date.

The Bears got off to a quick start in game one. Junior shortstop Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) led off the contest with a walk and senior leftfielder Carina Chirinko (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) knocked her in with a single up the middle. Chirinko then scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0 after a half inning. After the Kangaroos countered with a run in the bottom of the first, Chirinko knocked in Ott and freshman centerfielder Brooke Falsion (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) with a double to left for a 4-1 advantage.

Canton catcher Shannon Dowling homered in the bottom of the third to close the gap to two, but the Potsdam seized control with a four-run top of the fourth. Ott doubled to center, scoring Falsion and junior pinch runner Noelle Rufa (Helena, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central). Sophomore catcher Lauren Brace (Moriah, N.Y./Moriah) then drove in Ott and sophomore pitcher Sami Hubinsky (South Glens Falls, N.Y./SUNY Adirondack) with a single to left and Potsdam led 8-3 after three and a half. After another Roos run in the bottom of the fourth, Ott drove in Falsion with a sacrifice fly to right in the top of the sixth. Canton plated one final run in the bottom of the seventh for the 9-5 final.

Hubinsky went the distance for the Bears to even her record at 3-3. She allowed three earned runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out seven. Annie Sharlow (2-3) also pitched the entire seven for the Roos. She allowed nine runs on nine hits and five walks. She struck out four.

Ott finished the game 1-for-1 with three walks, three hits and three RBIs. Chirinko was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run. Brace finished 2-for-4 with two runs batted in.

In the finale, senior captain Katie Marsman (Wantagh, N.Y/Wyoming Seminary) put the Bears in front 1-0 in the top of the first with a single to right that scored Hubinsky. The Roos tied the contest with a run on a passed ball in their half of the first. Potsdam regained the lead thanks to a two-run bomb from senior captain Alexis Lerman (Fayetteville, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) with Hubinsky aboard in the top of the third. Two doubles knocked in three Canton runs in the bottom of the fourth and gave the Roos a 4-3 advantage. Marsman tripled in Hubinsky to tie the game in the top of the fifth. With the sun setting, Ott singled to drive in Falsion with the go ahead run in the top of the sixth. After Canton recorded the final out of the inning, the umpires suspended the game for darkness.

Hubinsky is 3-for-3 with three runs scored and senior right fielder Lyndale Nephew (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Seton Catholic) is 2-for-3 so far.

Freshman pitcher Alissa McCauley (Malone, N.Y./Franklin Academy) has allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks through five innings. She has fanned five Roos. Jordan Podkladek has given up four runs on eight hits in six innings with two walks and one strikeout.

The Bears are back in action on Friday when they host SUNY Geneseo at 3 p.m. for the first of three doubleheaders in three days.