ALFRED, N.Y. – The Oswego State softball team split its final nonconference doubleheader of the year at Alfred University on Thursday afternoon. In a pair of one-run games, Oswego earned an extra-inning victory in the day's opener before falling in a tight pitcher's duel in the nightcap.

THE BASICS

• Game 1 Result: Oswego 7, Alfred 6 (8 innings)
• Game 2 Result: Alfred 1, Oswego 0
• Location: Harrington Field – Alfred, N.Y.
• Records: Oswego 17-17  |  Alfred 19-19

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1

• A true back-and-forth game, Oswego and Alfred traded leads three times and were tied twice.
• In the first, the Lakers started the scoring as Rebecca Vilchez led off with a walk, moved to second on a Jessica Roe sacrifice bunt and scored on a Angela Frampton single to right center.
• After Alfred scored three in the second inning to take its first advantage of the game, Oswego knotted the tilt with two in the third.
• Oswego opened the third frame with another Vilchez single and teammates Madelana Wrubel, Emily Knowlden and Frampton followed suit, respectively, to plate Vilchez and Wrubel.
• The Lakers regained the lead in the fifth with a pair of runs as Sarah McCullough knocked a double to push Frampton and Knowlden across.
• Alfred cut the deficit to one in the bottom of that inning but Oswego answered with another run in the sixth to make it 6-4. The Lakers sixth-inning run came when Knowlden sent Aleah Yaizzo home on a single after Yaizzo began the inning with a single of her own.
• The Saxons answered again, scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the contest and a scoreless seventh sent the game into extras.
• With international rules in effect, Casey Gray was placed on second base to start the inning and Yaizzo sacrifice bunted her to third. Following a strikeout, Vilchez drove a double to the left center-field gap to score Gray.
• The junior then went back to the rubber for her second inning of work, getting the victory by inducing an out on a sacrifice bunt, a strikeout looking and a ground out to close the game.
• Vilchez and Frampton both finished with three hits while Knowlden had two.
• Vilchez, Frampton and Brianna Harrington shared the load in the circle. Harrington started, going 2.2 innings with three unearned runs on seven hits. Frampton struck out two in 3.1 innings of work while allowing three runs on five hits. Vilchez threw the final two frames, not allowing a run or hit while fanning one batter.

Game 2

• The only run of the game came in unearned fashion, as the Saxons notched a tally in the bottom of the second after the leadoff batter reached by way of an error. Two singles loaded the bases before a fielder's choice brought in the eventual game-winner.
• Vilchez worked masterfully around eight hits, allowing no earned runs and striking out two. The junior retired 13 Saxon hitters via a ground out.
• Oswego's best chance to knot the game came in its final at-bat, as Knowlden began the inning with a single. Knowlden was replaced on the base paths by Brianna LoMonaco, who moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. The next three Lakers went down in order, however, ending the potential for a second extra inning game of the afternoon.
• Joining Knowlden with singles on the afternoon were Zoe Mennig and McCullough. McCullough was perfect at the plate in the game, going 1-for-1 with a walk in her two appearances.

WHAT'S NEXT

Oswego will play its final games of the regular season at Cortland over the weekend. The doubleheader is scheduled for a 12 p.m. first pitch on Saturday.