BUFFALO, N.Y. – Cortland scored five runs over the final three innings to erase a 4-0 deficit and the nationally 17th-ranked Red Dragons defeated Buffalo State, 5-4, in the second game of a doubleheader. The host Bengals won the opener, 1-0, in 11 innings.

Cortland is 27-9 overall and 17-3 in the SUNYAC with the split. The Red Dragons and Plattsburgh (11-3) are tied in the loss column in the league standings. Cortland has two games remaining – a home doubleheader with Potsdam on Friday – and Plattsburgh has eight league games left. The SUNYAC regular-season champion will host the league's six-team postseason tournament May 1-4.

Buffalo State scored three times in the bottom of the first in the nightcap on a Nicole Mahar run-scoring single and Marissa Mariano's two-run double. The Bengals added a run in the third on Jordan Banach's sacrifice fly.

Cortland sophomore Diana Perez (Blauvelt/Tappan Zee) entered in relief in the third and did not allow a hit or a run over the final four and a third innings. She walked one and struck out one and is now 6-0 with the victory.

The Red Dragons got on the board in the fifth when freshman Donnalyn Cross (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) tripled and scored on a throwing error on the play. In the sixth, sophomore Crystal Carlson (Lancaster/Iroquois), sophomore Sammi Dieffenbach (Erin/Horseheads) and junior Kim Whitman (Victor) hit consecutive doubles with one out to score two runs. Whitman advanced to third on the throw after her hit, but Buffalo State starter Jenna Frieling got the next two batters to strike out and ground out to keep the Bengals ahead 4-3.

The top of the seventh started with a single by senior Annemarie Nelson (Nassau/Columbia), and sophomore Emily Ringen (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) followed with a triple to right center to tie the game. One out later, an error on a ball hit by junior Bethany Williamson (Lyons Falls/South Lewis) allowed pinch-runner Maria Blum (Alden) to score the go-ahead run. Perez retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh.

Nelson finished 3-for-4 and Dieffenbach was 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI for the Red Dragons. Whitman went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI and Ringen finished 2-for-4 with her RBI triple.

The opener featured a pitcher's duel between Cortland sophomore Katie Finch (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) and Buffalo State junior Aimee Fisher. Finch allowed four hits and matched her career high with 15 strikeouts in 10 and two-third innings. Four of the seven walks she issued were intentional. Fisher gave up six hits and two walks and struck out five over 11 innings to improve to 12-6 on the season.

Cortland's best threat in regulation came in the top of the fourth. Senior Amanda Barnett (Syracuse/Jamesville-DeWitt) tripled with one out, but Nelson's grounder to short resulted in Barnett being thrown out in a rundown between third and home. Nelson went to second on the play, and a wild pitch during a walk to Ringen put runners on second and third. Fisher induced a groundout, however, to end the threat.

The Bengals had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh. Jolene Banach led off with a double. After Jordan Banach was intentionally walked, Finch struck out the next two batters. A wild pitch placed runners on second and third, leading to another intentional walk before a strikeout ended the inning.

Each team had a runner reach second base in the ninth to no avail. In the 10th inning, the tiebreaker rule that starts the inning with a runner on second base was used. Cortland bunted its runner to third to start the 10th, but a pop-up and strikeout ended the threat. In the bottom of the 10th, a Fisher infield single put runners on first and third with no outs. Cortland intentionally walked the next batter, then got the next two hitters to hit into force plays to retire runners at home. The inning ended on a groundout back to Finch.

Cortland again moved its runner to third on a sacrifice to start the 11th. A flyout to left by Barnett was not deep enough, however, to score the runner and another flyout two batters later retired the side. In the bottom of the 11th, Finch got a groundout and a strikeout for a quick two outs. A wild pitch, however, moved Jolene Banach to third and two walks, one intentional, loaded the bases. Fisher then drew the walk that forced in the winning run.

Nelson went 2-for-4 with a walk and senior Tina Milani (Hopewell Junction/John Jay East Fishkill) was 1-for-3 for Cortland.

Game 1 box score

Game 2 box score

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