QUEENSBURY – The Lady Raiders are enjoying a good week. After playing very well against the #1-ranked Herkimer squad on Tuesday, they traveled to Queensbury on Wednesday to meet SUNY Adirondack's Lady Timberwolves in some of the best weather they have seen this season. The FM Nine won both games.
Photo: Shortstop Stephanie Rice crosses the plate as on-deck batter Abby Boyer watches
The FM defense has become quite sure-handed. Against Herkimer, the FM fielders caught just about everything that went up in the air – popups, line drives, and long flies to the outfield. The Lady Raiders continued that tight defensive play at Adirondack.
Photos: Four putouts against the Timberwolves – from left, catcher Ashley Przybylowicz, pitcher Taylor Bubniak, center fielder Lauren Balfe, and first baseman Rebekah Reichard
Game One
Adirondack pitcher Sammy Hubinsky retired the first two FM batters. FM catcher Ashley Przybylowicz lined a single to left field. Hubinsky then held FM hitless for the next four and one-third innings. Her pitches were fooling the Lady Raiders, who popped up several of them.
The Timberwolves put runs on the board in the second inning. Three singles, a double, and one FM error let the home team take a 4-0 lead. But the Raiders were ready to get back into the game.
Photo: Abby Boyer blasted this long, hard fly that landed just a few feet foul
Courtney Putnam led off the sixth inning with an infield hit. Stephanie Rice followed with a strong single to right. Przybylowicz was hit by a pitch. Taylor Bubniak stroked a two-run double to right. Rice hit her second single of the inning. The Lady Raiders had scored six runs and owned a 6-4 lead.
Adirondack's Ashley Houk led off the home half of the sixth with a single, but that was the T-Wolves' last hit of the game. FM won 6-4.
Game Two (This year the visiting team bats last in Game Two.)
Alyssa Palmateer was in the circle for Game Two. Madison Paquin led off the game with a double to left, but Palmateer and the FM defense kept her from scoring. Palmateer struck out the last two batters.
Stephanie Rice walked in the FM half of the first inning. Ashley Przybylowicz had an infield hit. The Raiders then did some aggressive base running and took advantage of two walks. FM led 3-0 after one inning.
Lauren Balfe walked to open FM's second inning. Rice brought her home with a double to left. 4-0 FM.
Palmateer was pitching well. The first Adirondack batter of the third inning singled to left, but Palmateer got the next three T-Wolves with two K's and a popup behind the plate.
FM added two more runs in the third inning. Boyer walked, stole two bases, and scored on a wild pitch. Cori Manson walked and stole second base. Amanda Bieniek doubled to deep left, scoring Manson. The Lady Raiders led 6-0.
Photo: Alyssa Palmateer pitching, shortstop Stephanie Rice at the ready
Adirondack's Myah Ondreko led off the fifth with a long home run over the center field fence. Palmateer then set down the next three batters 6-3, 5-3, and 6-3.
The Raiders were in position to win via the run rule, and they did just that. In the bottom of the sixth, Lauren Balfe and Courtney Putnam got on base. Rice brought them home with a two-run double to left. Przybylowicz brought Rice home with a long hit to deep right that was scored as a single because that was all that was needed. Rice crossed the plate with FM's ninth run, and the Lady Raiders won the game 9-1.
The weather-shortened softball season is nearly over. The Lady Raiders will host the Lady Spartans of Cayuga CC for a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader on Friday. FM will travel to Broome CC on Saturday for their season finale.
C.J. Bonny, website writer
Game One
FMCC 000 006 0 6-7-3
Adrondack 040 000 0 4-7-5
Bubniak and Przybylowicz, Hubinsky and Ondreko
2B: Paquin (Adk)
Game Two
Adirondack 000 010 1-6-3
FMCC 312 003 9-5-2
Hotaling and Baker (Adk), Palmateer and Pryzbylowicz, Shepard (5)
2B: Paquin, Rice (2), Bieniek; HR Ondreko
Records: FMCC 4-12 (4-12 region, 4-4 conference), Adirondack 4-9-1 (4-9-1 region, 4-7-1 conference)
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