Blue Devils split season-ending doubleheader, look toward playoffs

Sports Brief

Saturday, while the majority of the SUNY Fredonia student body was busy partaking in the annual shenanigans of Fred Fest, the Fredonia State softball team was busy locking up the No. 3 seed in the SUNYAC postseason tournament by splitting a doubleheader with the Buffalo State Bengals.

Fredonia State started the double header by winning the first game 1-0. Sophomore Alyssa Brongnano put the Blue Devils in good position to win by throwing a five hit shutout and striking out five Bengals. Brongnano turned in a great regular season for the Blue Devils, finishing with an 8-1 record.

Sophomore Katie Bartkowiak broke the SUNY Fredonia regular season stolen base record in the bottom of the third inning of the first game. The stolen base was Bartkowiak's 24th on the season. The previous stolen base record holder was Michelle Sherman, who earned the accolade in 1999 by swiping 23 bags.

The Blue Devils did not fare as well in game two of the double dip. Buffalo State took the second game by a score of 6-3. The Bengals were first to strike in the second game as they took a 2-1 lead over Fredonia State early. In the fourth inning Fredonia staged a comeback by scoring two runs on a pinch hit RBI single by sophomore Jaime Atkins. However, the three runs Buffalo State scored in the fifth would prove to be too much for a second Blue Devil comeback.

The Blue Devils will play their first playoff game in seven years on May 5. They will, once again, face off against Buffalo State, who is the No. 4 seed in the tournament.