Delhi, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly softball team put together a dominant day on Thursday, sweeping a doubleheader against SUNY Delhi with a 9–3 victory in game one and a 6–1 win in game two. With the pair of wins, the Wildcats improve to 4-4 on the season.
GAME ONE: SUNY POLY VS. SUNY DELHI
SUNY Poly came out swinging in the opener and wasted little time grabbing control. After Ava Faragon reached base and Alivia Turk moved into scoring position, Joely Welpe delivered a two-run double to left center in the top of the first to give the Wildcats an early 2–0 lead.
The Wildcats added on in the second inning, capitalizing on a Delhi error and a walk before Shelbi Hagues lined an RBI single through the left side to stretch the lead to 3–0.
SUNY Poly continued to apply pressure in the third. Annabella Mondello opened the inning with a double, and after another Delhi miscue, Reese Tucker added an RBI single up the middle to help the Wildcats build a 5–0 advantage.
Delhi responded in the bottom half of the third with a pair of runs on back-to-back RBI singles, trimming the deficit to 5–2, but SUNY Poly answered immediately in the fourth. Hagues started the frame with a single and later scored on Mondello's RBI single up the middle, pushing the lead back to 6–2.
The Wildcats padded the margin again in the sixth inning with a string of base hits. Hagues, Faragon, and Turk all reached safely before Mondello drove in another run with an RBI double to make it 7–2.
SUNY Delhi scratched across a run in the bottom of the sixth, but SUNY Poly put the game away in the seventh. After Katelyn Adams reached and moved into scoring position, Faragon ripped an RBI single, and Turk followed with another run-scoring base hit to extend the lead to 9–3.
In the circle, Hagues delivered a complete-game effort, working around traffic and limiting Delhi to just three runs while the Wildcats' offense piled up timely hits throughout the lineup.
GAME TWO: SUNY POLY VS. SUNY DELHI
Game two started as a tight contest before SUNY Poly's offense broke things open in the middle innings.
After a scoreless first, Kelly Powell got the Wildcats on the board in the second inning with a solo home run, giving SUNY Poly a 1–0 lead.
Delhi answered in the bottom of the second, using a pair of baserunners and an RBI single to even the score at 1–1, but the Wildcats quickly regained control in the third.
Following an error and a productive advance on the bases, Alivia Turk singled home a run, and Mondello followed with an RBI double to right, putting SUNY Poly back in front 3–1.
The Wildcats created more separation in the fourth inning. Powell launched her second solo homer of the game to open the frame, and SUNY Poly kept the pressure on with back-to-back singles from Katelyn Adams and Hagues. With the bases loaded later in the inning, Mondello came through again with a two-run single up the middle, extending the lead to 6–1.
From there, SUNY Poly's pitching and defense took over.
Delhi threatened at times, including putting runners aboard in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Wildcats consistently worked out of trouble and kept the Broncos off the scoreboard the rest of the way. SUNY Poly closed out the sweep by stranding three Delhi runners in the bottom of the seventh.
Offensively, Powell's two-home run game and Mondello's multi-RBI performance highlighted the nightcap, while the Wildcats again got a composed effort in the circle to secure the 6–1 win.
