Box Score Sophomore Jaime Berger (Norwich, NY/Norwich) scattered eight hits and struck out six batters leading The College at Brockport Softball team to a 4-3 victory over Geneseo Thursday in the first round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament in Oneonta. The Golden Eagles (24-9) advance and will face Cortland Friday in a winner's bracket game at 12:30 pm.
Brockport scored four times in the third inning for all of its offense with three hits and two errors in the inning. Geneseo (18-15) scored twice in the fifth on a two-run home run and added a third run in the top of the seventh before Berger induced a ground ball out to end the game with the potential tying run on second base.
In the third inning, Gabrielle Rivers (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) started the inning advancing to first after being hit by pitch. Brianna Ferchen (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) bunted down the third base line in an attempt to sacrifice Rivers to second but beat out the throw for a single and Brockport had runners on first and second.
Brianna Harris (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) attempted another sacrifice bunt but the throw from the defense went to third base in time to force out Rivers. Emily Dumas (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) reached on a fielding error by the third baseman to load the bases for the Golden Eagles.
Sarah Rosenbarker (Endicott, NY/Maine-Endwell) followed with a single up the middle to score Ferchen from third for the first run of the game. Andrea Schell (Glen Garden, NY/Voorhees) lifted a fly ball to left field but the ball was dropped and two runners came home for a 3-0 Brockport lead.
Amanda Yuhas (Hamburg, NY/Eden) capped the scoring rally with a single up the middle to score Rosenbarker from third for the 4-0 lead.
In the fifth inning Geneseo cut the lead in half with a two-out two-run home run over the left field fence and the game remained 4-2 until the final inning.
In the seventh, Geneseo's Sami Brown doubled to start the inning and moved to third two batters later on a ground out. With two outs, Elise Porreca singled to score Brown trimming the lead to 4-3. Porreca moved to second on a wild pitch before Jenna Phillips grounded out to Dumas at third base to end the game.
Ferchen led the Brockport attack with three hits and Harris added two hits. Ferchen, Harris, Dumas and Rosenbarker all scored runs. Berger was impressive with a complete-game victory allowing three earned runs on eight hits and four walks but striking out six batters including her 100th strike out of the season.
