GENESEO, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam softball team (3-22, 0-14 SUNYAC) battled SUNY Geneseo (18-9, 9-3) evenly for two games, but the Blue Knights outlasted the Bears for 9-6 and 3-1 victories on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore shortstop Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) was 5-for-8 with a run scored and an RBI and sophomore right fielder Noelle Rufa (Helena, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central) was 3-for-6 with two runs scored. Junior first baseman Katie Marsman (Wantagh, N.Y./Wyoming Seminary) and freshman third baseman Chelsea Streeter (Massena, N.Y./Massena) each had two RBI.

The Bears scored three times in the top of the first in game one. Ott led off with a single and then scored on a two-out infield hit from Marsman. Streeter drove in Marsman in with a single up the middle and freshman center fielder Lyndale Nephew (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Seton Catholic) knocked in junior captain Alexis Lerman (Fayetteville, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) with a single to left.

Geneseo tied the game in the bottom of the second on an RBI double from designated hitter Jami Cohen and a two-run single from second baseman Courtney Budynas. The Blue Knights then went up 6-3 in the bottom of fourth. Ashley Fillmore drove in two more with a double to left center and then scored on a failed double steal. Geneseo made it 8-3 in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run single from pinch hitter Tori Fahie.

The Bears closed the gap to 8-6 in the top of the sixth. Streeter doubled in Lerman then Ott drove in pinch runner Emily Tremblay (Fort Covington, N.Y./Salmon River) and Rufa with another double. In the bottom of the sixth, Budynas closed the scoring with a solo home run for the Blue Knights.

Junior pitcher Carina Chirinko (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) (1-9) allowed four earned runs on six hits with a strikeout in 3.1 innings. Freshman Jaime Hoskins (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) allowed three runs on five hits in the final 2.2. Corrin Spallone (11-4) pitched a complete game for Geneseo. She didn't allow an earned run, while allowing eight hits and striking out eight.

The finale was a pitcher's duel between Potsdam freshman Meghan Dougherty (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) and Blue Knight Mikayla Moore. Dougherty pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the first and then stranded two more runners in the bottom of the second. Moore stranded two Bears in the top of the third and fourth innings. Dougherty escaped another bases loaded situation with two outs in the bottom of the fourth and the game was still scoreless.

Rufa led off the top of the fifth with an infield single to short. Ott followed with a single up the middle. A Chirinko sac bunt moved the runners to second and third with one out. Rufa scored the first run of the game on another sacrifice by Marsman a batter later, but Potsdam was unable to push across any more runs.

Geneseo answered with their only three runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Cohen walked with two outs and the bases loaded to force in the tying run and Fillmore followed with a two-run single to center to put the Blue Knights up 3-1. Moore did the rest, getting the Bears in order in the sixth and seventh innings.

Dougherty (1-4) scattered nine hits and six walks, while striking out one in her six innings in the circle. Moore struck out three and allowed eight hits in seven innings.

Potsdam looks to bounce back with two nonconference home games against SUNY Canton on Tuesday at 3 and 5 p.m.