Albany, N.Y. – The Adelphi University softball program split their Northeast-10 doubleheader Friday afternoon at the College of Saint Rose. The Panthers (25-12-1, 16-5 NE10) fell short in the opener but turned around the momentum to take the nightcap, 6-4.

Brenna Martini posted a 4-7 afternoon at the dish, scoring three times, while adding three RBI. Nicoletta Cuccio and Stephanie Staiano both registered two hits apiece in the opener and combined for three runs and two RBI over the doubleheader. Despite outhitting the hosts in game one, the team dropped an 8-5 decision but added the same amount of hits in the second game to take the victory. 

Game 1
A Martini homer in the top of the first led to an early lead, scoring Cuccio to take a 2-0 lead. Saint Rose's Taylor Solomon sparked scoring for the Golden Knights in the bottom of the next inning to push them ahead of the visiting Panthers, 4-2. Adelphi was able to match those two runs in their next at-bats top of the third, which put the game in a stalemate for the following three innings.

The home team put up four runs in the sixth courtesy of four hits and one error in the field to command an 8-4 lead headed into the final inning of game one. 
Martini scored after a sacrifice fly from Lauren Sandelier, but the Brown and Gold were unable to string enough hits together to even the score as the hosts took the 8-5 final decision. 

Lindsay Mapes got the start in the opener for the Panthers, giving up two hits in 3.0 innings with two strikeouts before Jessica Vadala took the mound for the remainder of the game.

Game 2
Kailah Konkel set the tone in game two, hitting her first career home run to left center in the top of the third. Martini and Megan Lewis followed with RBI singles to give Adelphi a 3-0 lead. Saint Rose closed the gap with two runs in the fourth and tied the game with the stroke of the bat in the fifth as Jayden Costello homered. The visitors quickly regained the lead in the sixth with back-to-back singles sandwiched around a passed ball. Krista King drove in an insurance run plating Danielle Cutuli as the Golden Knight defense worked out of the inning before any more damage was done. 

Fallon McCarthy picked up an RBI in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to three on a groundout that plated Sandelier before the hosts returned for last ups. Despite adding one run with two outs, Vadala managed to get the last batter to fly out to earn her second save of the season. 

Kristin Fealy commanded the mound in the second game of the day, completing 5.0 innings in which she gave up seven hits for three runs but struck out two to improve to 6-5. 

The Panthers return to action on Saturday, April 15 as they take on Saint Rose to continue their four-game series beginning at 11:00 am.

Notes:
-The scheduled doubleheader on Saturday against the College of Saint Rose was changed from 12:00 pm to 11:00 am due to weather forecasts.

---

About Adelphi Athletics:
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009 and in the past seven seasons, has collected 21 regular season conference titles, 25 tournament championships, 33 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup three times (2013, 2014, and 2016), while winning five NCAA Division II National Championships.

For the latest on Adelphi University Athletics, follow the Panthers at www.aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat.