ORLANDO, FLA. – The Cortland softball team swept a pair of games Monday to improve to 3-1 on the season, defeating nationally 15th-ranked Coe College, 2-1, and beating Benedictine, 7-5.

Against Coe, the Red Dragons scored their two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Donnalyn Cross (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) led off with a single and then stole second. Senior Tina Milani (Hopewell Junction/John Jay East Fishkill) was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. After a ground out that moved the runners up, senior Shara Evanter (Commack) plated two runs with a triple down the right field line.

The Kohawks scored their run in the top of the third. With one out, junior Ashley Leonard reached second on an error by sophomore pitcher Katie Finch (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) on a bunt, and senior April Kalmes followed with an RBI single up the middle. In the fourth, Coe had a lead-off single, but a strikeout and two ground outs ended the inning. Finch then shut the door, fanning the last five batters she faced in the game.

Finch allowed four hits and finished with 11 strikeouts to earn the win. Cross went 1-for-2, Evanter was 1-for-3 and freshman Rose Morrison (Miller Place) went 2-for-2.

In the second game, Cortland opened up a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Cross led off with a triple and scored on Milani's single. Senior Annemarie Nelson (Nassau/Columbia) followed with a single, and sophomore Emily Ringen (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) doubled to left center to score Milani.  Nelson scored on a ground out and Ringen was awarded home on an illegal pitch.

The Eagles got three runs back in the bottom of the second on three doubles and a single, capped by senior Nikki Schlagel's two-out two-run two-bagger that chased Cortland starting pitcher junior Erin Brain (Westtown/Minisink Valley). Benedictine tied the game in the fourth on a wild pitch by freshman pitcher Danielle Singer (Binghamton), who relieved sophomore Maria Carucci (East Islip) after she allowed a lead-off triple.

Cortland went ahead 5-4 in the fifth when Nelson singled to center and scored on a three-base error by the center fielder. The Eagles evened the game at 5-5 on an RBI ground out by freshman Sam Corban in the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh, Cortland scored the deciding runs on a triple by Cross, an RBI double from Milani and a two-out pinch-hit RBI single by junior Bethany Williamson (Lyons Falls/South Lewis). Singer then struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win.

Singer improved her record to 2-0 with four innings in relief, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out six. Nelson finished 3-for-4 with two runs, and Cross, Milani and Evanter each went 2-for-4 to pace Cortland's 11-hit attack.