CORTLAND, N.Y. – Tournament MVP
Katie Finch (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) threw a one-hit shutout and sophomore
Lorraine Stoddard (Liverpool) singled in the winning run in the top of the seventh inning as nationally seventh-ranked Cortland defeated Plattsburgh, 1-0, to win the SUNYAC title.
The Red Dragons (38-6) won their 10th SUNYAC title and third in four years. Cortland earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Div. III tournament and will be making its seventh national showing in eight years.
Finch struck out 11 batters and allowed only two baserunners – an Erin Jamieson walk in the first inning and Danielle Gjergji's double off the fence in right center with one out in the seventh. Following the double, Finch struck out the final two batters to end the game.
Plattsburgh's Ashley Marshall held the Red Dragons to no runs and three hits over the first six innings. In the top of the seventh, however, senior
Emily Ringen (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) led off with a single to center and pinch runner
Alicia Smith (Newburgh/Newburgh Free Academy) moved to second on a one-out single by
Kayla Lynch (Albany/Colonie). Lynch finished the game 2-for-3. Stoddard then singled through the right side, and Smith just beat the throw home from right field to give Cortland the lead.
Finch improved to 25-2 with the victory and increased her career strikeout total to 995. Marshall, who fanned nine Cortland batters, is now 19-6 with the loss. Marshall struck out 13 batters earlier in the day in a 2-0, eight-inning win over Brockport that lifted Plattsburgh into the championship round. The Cardinals needed to beat Cortland to force a final game on Sunday.
The all-tournament team consisted of Finch, Stoddard, Ringen, junior
Katie Fusco (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem North) and junior
Donnalyn Cross (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) from Cortland, Marshall, Jamieson and Nicole Diemer from Plattsburgh, Ona Halladay and Kelly Briscoe from Brockport and Jillian Serraro from Oneonta.
The NCAA tournament field and schedule will be announced on Monday. Regional play will begin on either Thursday (May 13) for eight-team regionals or Friday (May 14) for six-team regionals. Cortland has won its NCAA regional and advanced to the Div. III World Series each of the last two years.
SUNYAC Tournament Web Page
