SUNY Orange vs WVU Potomac State College

The SUNY Orange Colts traveled down to West Virginia to play against WVU Potomac State College for the first round of the Region 20 playoffs. The Colts finished the regular season with a 29-11 record and Potomac State finished with 31-11. The Colts unfortunately were unable to keep up with Potomac state as they lost two games eliminating them from the next round of playoffs. In game one the Colts lost by a score of 11-2 after the Catamounts broke out to an early lead in the first after two home runs to put up the first runs of the game. Thanks to a sacrifice fly ball from Madeline Brennan driving in Dawn Grover giving the Colts their first runs in the top of the second inning. Gianna Catlettia was able to bring home another run for the Colts in the top of the fourth after a solo home run into deep center field to make the score 4-2. Potomac State would later jump out and score 5 runs late in the 6th inning to close out the game and make the score 11-2. 

Madeline Brennan and Gianna Catletti were the only one to drive in a run, Catletti finished the day going 2-for-3 with one home run. The Colts played phenomenal defense as they did not give up a single error with Jaylee Ramos having the most chances to get the out with five. The Colts had their troubles against the Catamounts defense as they were able to collect just 2 runs on 5 hits in a total of 21 at bats.

Gianna Catletti took her third loss on the year, the starting pitcher went for 5.2 innings allowing 9 runs on 8 hits while striking out six and walking two.

Entering game two the Colts chances are still hanging in the balance, if they were able to win game two they would be playing one more game but unfortunately game number two will be one to forget for the Colts losing 22-0 yesterday ending their season. In game two the Catamounts came out hot and showed no signs of letting up wanting to prove to the tournament that they deserved to be the 1 seed. The Catamounts leaped out to an early lead scoring 8 runs in the first and 9 runs crushing the Colts chances for a comeback and were not giving the Colts any hopes of winning the game. The Colts accumulated just two hits in the game coming late in the fourth inning from Dawn Grover and Gianna Catletti. In 17 at bats the Colts struck out four times and walked once as the defense from Potomac State was not letting the Colts get away with any easy plays. 

Gianna Catletti pitched three innings in relief for the Colts giving up 11 runs on 9 hits while striking out two and walking one. Molly Martin started on the mound earning the loss, she pitched just one inning surrendering 11 runs on 6 hits while striking out one and walking two.

Despite their tough end to the season this team has a lot to remember as they are the first time since the 2015-16 season to surpass 24+ wins in a season finishing with a record of 29 wins and 11 losses it is the most wins the program has had (stats go as far as 2012-2013). In over a decade of stats this Colts team has become the closest to 30 wins on the year and despite being .500 halfway through the season they jumped out in the second half of the year with a record of 10-10 they would go and lose just three games in their last 20 games played for a second half record of 17-3.

This team was nothing short of extraordinary finishing in the Top 15 (#15) in Batting Average across the entire NJCAA Division II out of 160 teams

Tied for #39 in total runs scored at 354 total runs on the year

#61 in Total Hits with 410

#11 in least amount of Strikeouts with 108

#68 in total XBH (Extra Base Hits) 

#44 in Earned Run Average at 3.38

#17 in Strikeouts per 7 innings at 6.71

Individually there were a bunch of athletes who got the Colts to where they were. 

All year Gianna Catletti has led her team in multiple categories. She leads in At Bats, Hits, Runs Batted In, Batting Average, On Base Percentage, SLG, Homeruns, XBH, Total Bases, Strikeouts as a pitcher and finished with a 1.000 Fielding Percentage. The Freshman Pitcher/First Base has been a monster whether she is inside the batter's box or is on the field and was named the Mid-Hudson Conference player of the week in April.

Sophomore Dawn Grover stepped up in a huge way this year, after having a 2.89 batting average for the month of March with just 13 hits and 5 runs batted in Grover would jumped out and show a lot of adversity and leadership finishing as with the fourth highest batting average on the team with a .408 average on the year. Playing the Center Field position she would be playing an extremely tough position being the last line of defense in the furthest parts of the field. Grover finished the year leading in Triples hit with 3, total runs scored with 56 and bases stolen with 15. She finished 2nd in Hits and Doubles.

Freshman Lindsay Keane has been a reliable athlete who meant business. Playing behind the plate and at first base, Keane having the most outs with 173 batters/runners put away, she also caught 9 batters trying to steal a base leading the team by 4. Keane finished in the top 5 of almost every category as she is 5th in Batting Average and runs scored,  led the team with doubles hit at 17, 2nd in Total Bases and had the 3rd highest fielding percentage with .984.

Lastly is Nicole Imhoff who came up in a big way for the Colts, much like Grover Imhoff had her struggles in the month of March and picked it up in a huge way in April. Imhoff all year had her troubles staying healthy but was not translated to her actions on the field as she finished with the 2nd highest Batting Average on the team with .440, she had the 2nd most Runs Batted in, tied for 4th most Hits on the team, 4th most XBH and 4th in Total Bases.

There are three players who will be graduating from SUNY Orange this May Madeline Brennan, Dawn Grover and Molly Martin. Madeline Brennan and Molly Martin both will be continuing their softball careers at the higher level moving on to their next adventure at a 4 year institution. Good luck to all to the sophomores on their futures in the sport, congratulations on the amazing careers as a Colt and a phenomenal season and congratulations to the rest of the SUNY Orange Colts softball team on an amazing season