ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Oswego State softball team kicked off their 2021 campaign with a doubleheader split with the RIT Tigers in Rochester.  RIT staged a comeback to take game one, 9-8, and the Lakers closed them out in the second contest, 4-3.  

THE BASICS

• Final Scores: RIT 9, Oswego 8 | Oswego 4, RIT 3
• Location:  Tiger Stadium, Rochester, N.Y.
• Records:  Oswego (1-1) | RIT (1-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED 
Game 1

• The Lakers started strong behind RBI singles by Zoe Mennig, Taylor DuBois and Samantha Morgan to go up 3-0 after the initial frame. 
• After Brianna LoMonaco and Leah Czerwinski reached base for the second-straight inning and were advanced by sophomore Fiona Higgins, Mennig delivered another RBI single and Dubois delivered a sacrifice to plate Czerwinski to put Oswego up 5-0.
• RIT cut the Laker lead back to 6-5 with runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings.
• Senior Madelana Wrubel doubled with one out in the sixth and junior Aleah Yaizzo singled to drive her in.  In the seventh, LoMonaco walked, stole second and came around to score on an errant throw from the catcher.
• RIT used three base hits and a pair of walks to mount a seventh-inning comeback to finish out game one.
• Higgins went 4.2 innings in her first start for the Lakers, striking out six.  Morgan (0-1) took the loss despite not allowing any earned runs.

Game 2

• It was a similar start for Oswego in the nightcap with LoMonaco and Czerwinski reaching base via Tiger errors.  Mennig delivered a one-out double to put the Lakers up 2-0 after the first.
• Wrubel led off the second with a double and advanced to third when Yaizzo reached by error.  Sophomore Madison Hoeflich executed a successful squeeze bunt to make it 3-0.
• Each team added a run to make it 4-1 until the bottom of the sixth when the hosts used a pair of singles and a double to score two and cut the lead to 4-3.
• Things got interesting in the bottom of the seventh when RIT loaded the bases with a hit and a pair of walks with one out.  Hoeflich induced a grounder that LoMonaco fired home for the force out, followed by a comebacker to the pitcher for a game-ending groundout.
• Hoeflich (1-0) went the distance while striking out a pair to earn her first collegiate win.

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Lakers are scheduled for a 1 p.m. doubleheader Sunday back in Rochester at St. John Fisher College.