CORTLAND, N.Y. – Sophomore Katie Fusco (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem North) singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning and junior Katie Finch (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) struck out a school single-game record 19 batters as Cortland defeated Buffalo State, 3-2, in the first game of a SUNYAC doubleheader. The nationally ninth-ranked Red Dragons completed the sweep with a 6-1 win in the nightcap and are now 22-2 overall and 6-0 in league play.

Finch broke the school record of 16 strikeouts set by Stephanie Adamshick versus SUNYIT in 2006. Finch's previous career high was 15 strikeouts, set twice previously. She reached the 15 strikeout mark through seven innings versus Buffalo State, then fanned one batter in the eighth, two in the ninth and one more in the 10th. She finished with a five-hitter and improved to 12-1 on the year.

Cortland took a 1-0 lead on junior Sammi Dieffenbach's (Erin/Horseheads) first collegiate homer, a blast to left in the bottom of the second. The lead grew to 2-0 in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by freshman Jessica Harman (Penfield).

Finch took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but walked Marissa Mariano to lead off the inning and, two batters later, gave up a two-run homer to Kaylee Lekki just inside the left field foul pole that tied the game.

The game remained tied through the ninth inning, prompting the use of the NCAA tiebreaker rule, per league mandate, in the 10th inning. Buffalo State started with a runner on second base and Aimee Fisher's sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third, but Finch recorded a pop-up and a strikeout to keep the Bengals off the board. Pinch-runner Lexi Deming (Oswego) started on second for Cortland in the bottom of the 10th, advanced to third on a Rose Morrison (Miller Place) sacrifice and scored when Fusco, pinch hitting, singled to left.

Nicole Sabuda pitched a four-hitter over nine and one-third innings but suffered the loss for Buffalo State. She struck out four and gave up three runs, one earned.

The visiting Bengals (12-8, 4-4) took a 1-0 lead in the second game on a solo homer by Mariano with two outs in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Harman reached on an error, went to second on a Fusco bunt single and scored on a two-out error on a grounder hit by Dieffenbach.

Freshman Lorraine Stoddard (Liverpool) led off the fifth for Cortland with an infield single and pinch runner Deming moved to second on a Brooke Weidman (Perkinsville/Wayland-Cohocton) sacrifice. Sophomore Donnalyn Cross (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) hit a double to left to drive in the go-ahead run.

Cortland put the game away with four runs in the sixth. With two outs, Jackie Begnoche (Montgomery/Valley Central) singled and Morrison reached on an error. Stoddard singled to left to load the bases, Weidman beat out a single to third to drive in a run and Cross drove in two runs with a single up the middle. The last run scored on an error two batters later.

Freshman Lyndsay Rowell (Sandy Creek) pitched five innings for her seventh win in eight decisions. She allowed four hits and struck out three. Junior Diana Perez (Blauvelt/Tappan Zee) entered in the sixth with Cortland up 2-1 and pitched the final two innings for the save. She gave up only one hit over the seven batters she faced.

Stoddard finished 2-for-3, Cross was 2-for-4 with three RBI and Fusco went 2-for-4. Mariano led Buffalo State with a 2-for-3 effort. Jenna Frieling allowed nine hits but only one earned run over six innings in the loss.

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score