Oneonta, NY - The SUNY Delhi softball team returned to the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) playoffs after a four-year hiatus. The Broncos' 7-5 conference record earned them the #5 seed as part of a two-game elimination conference tournament. Delhi's playoff run would start with a Thursday morning matchup against the Beavers of Farmington.
While the Broncos entered play red-hot on a six-game win streak, it would be the Beavers jumping out to the early lead. Farmington tallied two runs in the first, followed by three in the second, to take a quick 5-0 lead. Delhi would eventually score their first run of the game in the top of the fifth behind an RBI triple from first-year Stephanie Huckabee, scoring senior Sidney Cooper. The Beavers would answer in an empathic way, as Christa Allen and Katie Morse would record back-to-back home runs as Farmington coasted to a 7-1 victory.
In fitting fashion, Delhi's season continued to be plagued by poor weather conditions, pushing the squad's next game to Saturday morning against the Fighting Tigers of Cobleskill. It would be a battle of familiar faces, with both sides having gone head-to-head earlier in the season for four games that saw the Tigers getting the best of the Broncos in each.
Delhi would fall behind early in consecutive games, as the Tigers plated three runs in the opening frame. The Broncos would inch closer in the second, adding a run on an RBI bunt from sophomore Angelina Dickel, scoring senior Danielle Seymour from third. Delhi would find themselves in a similar situation in the fourth; this time Dickel's sacrifice would score a pair of runners, tying the contest at three apiece. Just when the Broncos would find themselves back in it, the Tigers would have an answer, regaining the lead with a three-spot in the bottom half of the inning. Trailing by three with possibly three innings of play left in their season, Delhi would claw back once again to tie the contest back up. Huckabee would cross home plate on a double steal, followed by RBIs from Seymour and sophomore Hannah Caughey. Cobleskill refused to be denied, scoring a pair of runs in the final two innings to claim the 10-6 result, putting an end to the Broncos' season.
Delhi finishes the season 14-20 and will shift their attention to the offseason as they prepare for next season.
