Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Jerry Reilly, Sports Information Director

DATE: Saturday, March 20, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Softball

Suffolk 7, Fredonia State 3

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - Fredonia State dropped a 7-3 decision Saturday to Suffolk (Mass.) University in the Gene Cusic Classic at the Cape Coral Sports Complex.

Erin Pagel pitched a complete-game six-hitter for Suffolk (3-3). She also was on base three times and scored two runs from the lead-off position.

The Blue Devils (2-2) fell behind 2-0 in the first inning when Suffolk scored the first two of four unearned runs off Ashley Sullivan (Derby/Lake Shore).

Sullivan (1-1) allowed six hits, walked four and struck out two.

Fredonia State cut the margin to 2-1 in the fourth inning. Nikki Prentice (Frewsburg/Frewsburg) doubled and Jessica Haefner (Hamburg/Frontier) singled to put runners on first and third with one out.

When Haefner was out trying to steal second, pinch-runner Meghan Flaherty (Cassadaga/Cassadaga Valley) beat the return throw to the plate for the first Fredonia State run.

Suffolk made it 4-1 with two more unearned runs in its half of the fourth. The Blue Devils responded with a run in the fifth. Ashley Gierszewski (Angola/Lake Shore) walked, went to third on a single by Colleen Russell (Brockport/Brockport), and scored when Heather Mercer (Horseheads/Horseheads) grounded to short.

Suffolk broke the game open in the last of the sixth when Andria Schibler drove home three runs with a bases-loaded double.

The Blue Devils scored their final run when Mercer tripled and Amanda Waite (Dunkirk/Dunkirk) hit a hard grounder which eluded the shortstop for an error.

The Blue Devils play twice Sunday: 9 a.m. against Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and 1 p.m. against Plymouth, N.H. Both games will be played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla.

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