Box Score SUNYAC TOURNAMENT PAGE
GENESEO, N.Y. - The SUNY Geneseo softball team defeated Cortland, 5-1, in the final game of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament to earn the program's first SUNYAC Championship since 2002.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Geneseo jumped out to an early lead when junior infielder Anna Merante ripped an RBI triple to right-center and came home to score on a single by senior outfielder Claire VanNewkirk.
- After Cortland scored a run in the top of the second inning, Geneseo added to their lead with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
- Junior outfielder Alyssa Persich lifted a triple to left-center to bring home sophomores Abbey Whitney and Kate Luchowski, and then stole home to make the score 5-1.
- Sophomore pitcher Ashlyn Kersch scattered 11 hits and didn't allow any runs over the final five frames as the Knights rolled to secure the championship.
QUICK FACTS
- Geneseo (30-7) compiled its first 30-win season since the 2002 squad finished with a school-record 36-6 mark while becoming only the fourth team in the 41-year history of the program to hit the 30-win plateau.
- VanNewkirk and Persich were named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team, alongside Kersch, who earned SUNYAC Tournament MVP honors after posting a 3-1 record and allowing just two earned runs over 19.2 innings pitched in the tournament.
- Persich extended her hitting streak to seven games with a pair of hits, and has gone 9-for-20 (.450) with six RBI and four runs scored in five tournament games.
- Junior pitcher Taylor Moore earned the SUNYAC Elite 20 award, given to the player on a team featured in the championship with the highest cumulative GPA.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Knights earn their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002 and will find out who and where they play on Monday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m.
