NEW PALTZ, NY – In its final two home games of the 2013 season on Wednesday afternoon, the State University of New York at New Paltz softball team dropped a pair of one-run decisions to Union College at Mary Gray Deane Field, falling by a 6-5 final in 12 innings in game one before losing game two, 4-3.
 
New Paltz left 19 runners on base in the front end of the twinbill, and despite outhitting Union 11-6, the Hawks were unable to plate the winning run in the extra frames.
 
The entirety of Union's non-extra-inning scoring came in the first inning.  Allyson Staats singled and advanced to second on an illegal pitch to lead off the inning, while Aimee Palleschi singled during the ensuing at-bat before advancing to second on a throw. Alyssa Wolejko singled home Staats, and Wolejko stole second to put runners back at second and third. Joanna Chalifoux pushed across Palleschi made it a 2-0 game with an RBI single to right field, and Wolejko came around to score on an illegal pitch to round out the frame's scoring.
 
New Paltz got one back in the home half of the first, as Marissa Monaco singled to plate Shayna Burgess. Chelsea Kull put runners on first and second with two outs, but the Dutchwomen recorded a strikeout to quell the Hawk threat. The Hawks drew within one in the fourth, with Burgess singling up the middle to push across Emily Mouillesseaux. 
 
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, both squads added to their run total in the eighth. Dani Hennel was placed on second to lead off the top of the eighth, and she moved over to third on a groundout before coming home on a sacrifice fly. In the home portion of the eighth, Mouillesseaux scored on a double steal, and that locked the score at 4-all. Union proved effective at moving runners over once again in the ninth, as Wolejko, who was placed at second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a ground out. Melissa Liotta, who was placed at second, over to third base. Meg Brewer singled down the left-field line to drive in Liotta, and that squared the score at 5-all.
 
In the 12th, Union made it a 6-5 game after Chalifoux, who was placed on second, came home on a fielder's choice. The Dutchwomen loaded the bases off two errors, but the Hawks avoided the large deficit by inducing an inning-ending fly out. Union forced two strikeouts during New Paltz's first two at-bats in the bottom of the frame, and a ground out to the pitcher gave the Dutchwomen game one.
 
Burgess had the Hawks' top outing offensively in the front end of the twinbill, going 3-for-5 with three stolen bases, a run scored and an RBI. Wolejko paced the Union bats by going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
 
Amber Carozza was saddled with the loss, giving up six runs, three of which were earned, on six hits and a walk while striking out three. Wolejko tossed the first five innings for Union and proved effective, yielding three runs, two of which were earned, on six hits, four walks and a hit by pitch while striking out seven. Staats earned the win by hurling the final seven frames. Staats gave up two unearned runs and scattered five hits while striking out four.
 
Game two proved equally as dramatic, as New Paltz crawled out of a 4-0 hole and put the tying run on second base with no outs in the seventh.
 
Union scored twice in the first thanks to a fielding error, as Palleschi and Stats each crossed the plate. The Dutchwomen added to their total in the fifth, with Palleschi successfully executing a squeeze play before coming around to score on a Chalifoux double. Feeney put New Paltz on the board with an RBI ground out, while Mouillesseaux doubled to right field to drive in Brewer. Union then registered the second out, but Burgess drew the Hawks within one with an RBI double down the left-field line.
 
Burgess (2-for-4, one double, one RBI) and Liotta (2-for-3, one double) keyed the Hawk attack in game two, while Wolejko went 2-for-4 for Union. Notably, Chalifoux drove in two runs.
 
Brewer suffered the loss for New Paltz, permitting four runs, three of which were earned, on five hits, a walk and a hit by pitch while striking out two. Katie Rutcofsky threw 2 1/3 innings of hitless and scoreless relief. Sarah Logan earned the win in the circle for the Dutchwomen, yielding three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out two. Wolejko was credited with the save, scattering two hits and striking out two in 1 2/3 innings of work.
 
Union hosts SUNY Oneonta for a non-league doubleheader Friday.