2025 SUNYAC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Saturday, May 10, 2025
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FIRST ROUND: #3 BUFFALO STATE BENGALS VS #6 PLATTSBURGH CARDINALS
Thursday, May 8, 2025 – 10 AM
Red Dragon Softball Field – Oneonta, NY
THE MATCHUP… Buffalo State enters this year's tournament as the three-seed going 20-16 (14-4 SUNYAC) while Plattsburgh snagged the final postseason spot with a record of 10-25 (7-11 SUNYAC). With new rules in the postseason format, the #3, #4, #5, and #6 seeds will go head-to-head in single elimination with the top two seeds earning a bye into double-elimination the remainder of the tournament. The winner between the Bengals and Cardinals will battle New Paltz at 3:00 pm.
Buffalo State swept both matchups during the regular season with a 4-1 and 4-3 final.
THE BENGALS' LAST GAME… Buffalo State earned a split against New Paltz to close out the regular season Monday afternoon.
Game one featured a 5-4 win for Buffalo State after a nine-inning affair.
Erin Paolilli (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) tallied a walk-off sac fly for the Bengals in the ninth inning. Paolilli and
Ella Stewart (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) each had a pair of hits and two RBI while
Izzy Pezdek (Lancaster, NY/Grand Island) went the distance on the mound striking out 10 batters.
After a bases loaded walk, Stewart laced a two-run single to give the Bengals an early 3-0 lead in the second. After the Hawks scored a pair of runs in the top of the third, Paolilli had an RBI hit to give the Bengals some cushion. New Paltz tied things up at four in the fifth after a two-run hit. After both sides were in a stalemate in extras, Paolilli knocked in the winning run with a sac fly to give the Bengals the game one win.
Game two was a 1-0 win for the Hawks.
Madison Lucas (Oakdale, PA/West Allegheny) pitched all seven innings allowing seven hits with three strikeouts. Both sides were locked in a pitchers' duel as neither team could get a run across until the late innings. New Paltz was able to push a run across in the seventh to take a 1-0 lead. Buffalo State threatened late, but the Hawks were able to shut the door to secure the split.
POWERHOUSE OFFENSE… Buffalo State's offense has been strong the while year as they sit third in the team standings with 172 RBI, a .306 batting average, and a .362 on-base percentage. The Bengals lead the SUNYAC with 311 hits and a team .436 slugging percentage.
PITCHING FACTORY… The Bengals' pitching staff has also been impressive this season leading the conference with a 2.68 ERA across 237.2 innings pitched
GETTING IT DONE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PLATE… Lucas and Pezdek have been staples for the Bengals both on the mound and in the lineup. Lucas finished the regular season in the top-five in the conference in hits, RBI, and doubles at the plate while sitting fourth in ERA. For Pezdek, she finished the year with four homers, good for fourth in the SUNYAC, with a 1.95 ERA across 100.1 innings pitched.
SWIPE A BAG… Lexi Quagliana (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) led the Bengals going 13-13 in stolen base attempts.
HOMER HAPPY… As a team, the Bengals slugged 16 home runs which is the most they have hit in a season since they hit 22 back in 2012. That mark finished first in the SUNYAC.
CONCERN WITH THE CARDINALS… The Cardinals enter the postseason looking to snap a two-game skid after dropping both of their matchups with Cortland.
Megan Pillus leads the Cardinal offense hitting .364 with 39 hits and 17 RBI. Gwen Noll has been a force on the basepath going 25-29 on stolen base attempts, the highest stolen base total in the conference.
On the mound, Carly Gemmett has pitched to a 7-12 record with a 3.87 ERA and 139 strikeouts.
THE REST OF THE COMPETITION… Rounding out the field will be Cortland as the top overall seed, New Paltz at the two-seed, Fredonia at the four-seed, and Oneonta at the five-seed. New Paltz is the reigning conference champion.
