CLERMONT, FLA,.—The SUNY Potsdam softball team (1-1) fell to Pittsburgh-Greensburg (1-1) 9-0 before rallying from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Beloit College (Wis.) (3-3) 9-7 on the first day of its 2020 season.
 
In the nightcap, the Buccaneers struck for six runs in the first two innings. Beloit scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice bunt and followed it up on a run on an error. The Bucs added four more in the top of the second with an RBI single, a two-run double and an error.
 
The Bears got four back in the bottom of the second. Sophomore catcher Hailey LaGiudice (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./Mt. Sinai) knocked in junior left fielder Kayla Palmer (Chester, N.Y./Chester) and freshman pinch runner Makenzie Martin (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) with a double to left. Sophomore Faith Ocampo (Bronx, N.Y./Fannie Lou Hammer Freedom) then pinch ran and advanced a walk and wild pitch before scoring on a double steal. Sophomore second baseman Vanessa Brandt (Saugerties, N.Y./Saugerties) then made it 6-4 with a single to center that scored freshman right fielder Anna Grottola (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot).
 
Potsdam took the lead for good with three more in the bottom of the third. Freshman shortstop Madison Gerber (Buffalo, N.Y./Sweet Home) drove in sophomore first baseman Abby Vaughn (Apalachin, N.Y./Owego Free Academy) with a single to left center to close the gap to 6-5. Vaughn and Gerber then each scored on errors to give the Bears a 7-6 advantage.
 
Palmer drove in senior designated player Megan Fish (Getzville, N.Y./Williamsville North) and senior captain Lucy Condon (Waterloo, Ontario/St. David Catholic) for a 9-6 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Beloit got a run back with an RBI single in the top of the sixth, but freshman pitcher Makiah Ramsdell (Winthrop, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central) struck out Bucs shortstop Stephannie Lopez with the tying runs on second and third. Ramsdell then struck out two in the top of the seventh and stranded a runner at second to close out the win.
 
Grottola was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Brandt was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Condon was 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Fish was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Palmer was 1-for-3 with a run and two RBI and LaGiudice was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Gerber finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI and junior third baseman Morgan Brown (Duvall, Wash./Cedarcrest) was 2-for-3.
 
Madi Christine was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI for Beloit and Emily Stapay was 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI.
 
Freshman pitcher Diana Kilgallen (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) (1-0) earned her first career victory in relief after going 3.1 innings and allowing a hit, an earned run and two walks, while striking out two. Freshman Amanda Kiser (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) made the start allowing six runs, just two earned, on three hits and two walks. Ramsdell earned her first career save allowing three hits in 1.2 scoreless innings.
 
Cora Aubert (0-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing seven runs, five earned, on seven hits and four walks over 2.2 innings. Makayla Zundel allowed two earned runs on five hits in the last 3.1 innings.
 
The Pitt-Greensburg stats were not available at the time of this story.