Geneseo softball’s 2018 season officially made its home opener on March 28 with a doubleheader against the Alfred University Saxons.
After completing a week’s worth of games in Florida over spring break and then having to wait 12 days for their next game, the women returned to the diamond with an 8-0 shutout against Alfred. A stellar pitching performance by junior pitcher Taylor Moore, who managed only three hits in six innings, along with an impressive offensive performance by the entire batting lineup, allowed the Knights to excite the fans in attendance at their home opener.
Game two against the Saxons proved to be more difficult. Geneseo struggled to get the bats going against Saxon sophomore pitcher Jessica Wilcox, who struck out 10 Knights’ batters. The offensive discrepancies led to a 2-1 loss in 8 innings for Geneseo.
There are a variety of challenges the relatively young Knights could face this season; however, according to junior infielder Kylie Papagelos, it all comes down to the basics.
“The most important adjustment for us to make throughout the season would be making sure that we stay true to our game,” Papagelos said. “This year we have worked very hard on simplifying our game and honing in on the basic skills that we need to have to be successful.”
Following the games against Alfred, the Knights traveled up north taking on the SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinals on Saturday March 31. Geneseo was able to split the series to kick off their SUNYAC divisional play at .500.
“Once the season gets into full swing, it is easy to get caught up in the moment and lose sight of some of the things that we have worked on throughout preseason,” Papagelos said. “The challenge this season will be making sure that we do not over complicate things both on the field and at the plate.”
It might seem as though Geneseo is only a few games into the season, but they are actually nearing the halfway point. The Knights knocked out 12 games in Florida at the beginning of the season, proving that they can play in a variety of conditions.
“In the SUNYAC, any team could win on any given day,” Papagelos said. “With that being said, we know that every conference game that we play is going to require our absolute best performance … that added pressure is what makes playing in New York different than playing in Florida.”
SUNYAC softball tends to have a rigorous schedule due to the unfavorable conditions. This results in the need for double headers—two games in one day—that can be physically taxing on a team. Abundance of games doesn’t seem to be an issue though, as Papagelos went on to highlight the team’s positive attributes, in particular their ability to “give it their all until the final out.”
Geneseo will host the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons for a double header on Friday April 6 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.