JOHNSTOWN – FMCC swept both games of a doubleheader with the Saints of North Country CC on Sunday afternoon. The Lady Raiders won by the scores of 9-0 (5 inn) and 9-4 (7 inn). Freshman pitcher Alyssa Palmateer set the tone for the day by stifling the Saints' batters. Palmateer limited the visitors to just one hit in Game One.

Photo:  Alyssa Palmateer pitching, with second baseman Courtney Putnam and right fielder Tegan Shumway at the ready

Game One

The game began, and Palmateer induced the first two Saints batters to hit grounders that were played routinely to first base by second baseman Courtney Putnam and shortstop Stephanie Rice. The third Saint blooped a single into shallow left field. That short single was the only hit in the game by the North Country batters.

FM did not score in their half of the first. Brittany Keator and Alix Leo both hit line drives that were caught.

Photo:  Shortstop Stephanie Rice catches a popup as third baseman Cori Manson watches

Palmateer pitched with plenty of poise in the second inning. She fell behind the leadoff batter 3-0 and behind the third batter 2-0, but battled back and struck out both of those Saints. The inning ended with Putnam going back into short right field to catch a popup.

Rice led off the second inning with a solid single to left. Rebekah Reichard advanced the runner. Rice went to third base on a wild pitch and then scored on Cori Manson's sacrifice bunt. FM led 1-0.

The game moved along quickly. Alix Leo led off the FM fourth with a walk. Rice smacked a hard single.  Manson singled in FM's second and third runs.

FM enjoyed a six-run fifth inning that ended the game via the run rule. The Lady Raiders won 9-0. Ally Ostrander and Stephanie Rice both had doubles in the inning. Reichard and Manson had singles. Leo and Palmateer drew walks. Kelsey Taber stroked a fly ball that the Saints' right fielder could not catch, allowing the final two runs to cross the plate.

The Lady Raiders won the game. Pitcher Palmateer won her second game of the season.

NC   000 00   0-1-2

FM   010 26   9-7-1

LaPage and Phillips; Palmateer and Leo

Game Two

Head Coach Meghan Power handed the ball to Taylor Bubniak for Game Two. The first North Country batter reached base with an infield hit. She then tried to steal second but was gunned down by a throw from catcher Alix Leo and a tag by shortstop Stephanie Rice.

FM had a huge home half of the first inning. They took advantage of some shaky pitching and defense by the visitors and made the most of hard singles by Leo and Rice, along with a tricky fielders'-choice ball off the bat of Rebekah Reichard. FM led 7-0.

The Lady Raiders added two runs in the second on singles by Leo and Reichard and a double down the left field line by Rice. FM led 9-0 and seemed to have the game under control. But that would change.

Photo:  Alix Leo lines a drive into center field

The Saints then sent freshman Courtney Boyea into the circle. Boyea had good stuff, and she kept the FM batters in check. FM did not hit safely after the second inning. The Saints scored four runs in the top of the fifth. The game went the full seven innings, and FM won 9-4.

NC   000 040 0   4-11-1

FM   720 000 x   9-5-2

Tschirhart, Hayes (2), Boyea (4) and Ghostlaw, Phillips (2); Bubniak and Leo

Records:  FM  4-2 (4-2 conference);  North Country  1-6 (0-4 conference)

It was a good day for Raider softball. Palmateer was stellar in the circle. Rice had five hits, including two doubles, in seven trips to the plate. FM's infield play was solid. Manson had an impressive game at the hot corner (see photo at the bottom of this page).

Coach Power commented, "We are happy with the wins, but we are not satisfied. The pitchers have been throwing well, but hopefully we can get our bats going a little more."

The Lady Raiders' next outing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15, when they are to host Clinton CC in a doubleheader starting at 3:00 p.m.

                                C.J. Bonny, website writer

Mountain Valley Conference Standings – through April 13

Herkimer      7-1

Fulton-Montgomery    4-2

Hudson Valley    4-2

Mohawk Valley    4-3

Delhi    2-2

Columbia-Greeene    1-4

Adirondack  1-5

Clinton   0-1

North Country    0-4

Photo: Third baseman Cori Manson gets the out at first

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