The Oswego State softball team (19-13, 11-7 SUNYAC) clinched the No. 4 seed in next weekend's SUNYAC Championship by sweeping the Buffalo State Bengals (11-18, 9-9 SUNYAC) in a road doubleheader on Saturday.
Oswego will face No. 3 Oneonta at 1 p.m. on Thursday in the postseason tournament. The entire tournament will be played at No. 1 Geneseo's home field.
OSWEGO 7, BUFFALO STATE 3 (9 INN):
Oswego never trailed in the opening game of the twin bill. Gabriella Vertuccio's first-inning single plated Rebecca Vilchez to put the Lakers up 1-0. After the Bengals tied the game in the third, Oswego retook the lead in the fifth. Madelana Wrubel smashed a double to left center which again plated Vilchez. Another double – this time by Angela Frampton – in the seventh once again scored Vilchez and seemingly captured the victory at 3-1. Buffalo State would force extras, however, notching two unearned runs in the bottom of the frame.
Both teams were unable to score in the eighth but that changed in the ninth. Oswego exploded for four runs as Frampton tallied a two-RBI single, Sarah McCullough drove in a run with another single and Erin Sweeney hit a sacrifice fly to plate Frampton.
McCullough and Vilchez each finished with three hits while Wrubel, Frampton and Vertuccio had two apiece. Vilchez led the squad with four runs scored while Frampton registered three RBI.
Vilchez earned the win to move to 13-8 on the year. The sophomore threw 7.2 innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out five. Frampton tossed 1.1 frames in relief, scattering three hits for two runs, both of which were unearned.
OSWEGO 3, BUFFALO STATE 2:
In the nightcap, Oswego completed the sweep of Buffalo State with a 3-2 victory. Vilchez was stellar in closing out the game, allowing just one hit over 3.1 innings to earn the save and protect Frampton's win. Frampton improved to 5-3 on the year in the circle, striking out three while allowing just two runs.
At the dish, Vertuccio and Sweeney each had two hits, with both getting extra-base knocks. Vertuccio slugged a solo shot in the third while Sweeney recorded a double.
The other Laker runs came as Vilchez scored in the third when a dropped third strike forced the Bengal catcher to throw down to first. In the next inning, Taylor DuBois hit a sacrifice fly to left field, driving in Sweeney.
Oswego will close out the regular season at 3 p.m. on Tuesday as it hosts Utica College in a nonconference doubleheader.
