CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland softball team, ranked ninth nationally in Div. III, posted a pair of 9-1 victories during the second day of the SUNYAC Softball Tournament and is one win away from earning its second straight league title.

The Red Dragons (35-3-1) opened the day with a 9-1 win over Geneseo in a game called after five innings due to the eight-run rule. Cortland completed the afternoon with a 9-1 win over Buffalo State in six innings. Junior Abby Martin's (Oswego) three-run homer ended the game in the bottom of the sixth.

Cortland will play either Plattsburgh or Buffalo State for the league title Saturday at 1:30 p.m. If the Red Dragons lose that game, a winner-take-all final in the double-elimination tournament will be held Sunday at noon. Plattsburgh and Buffalo State meet in an elimination game Saturday at 11 a.m.

Cortland 9, Geneseo 1 (5 inn.) (Box Score)

Junior Lyndsay Rowell (Sandy Creek) started for Cortland but was pulled after two innings since the Red Dragons led 5-0. Sophomore Morgan Kuhn (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) pitched the final three innings for the victory and is 8-1 on the season. Rowell gave up only two walks in two scoreless frames. Kuhn gave up two hits, a walk and a run and struck out four in three innings.

Junior Jessica Harman (Penfield) finished 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs and senior Donnalyn Cross (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) was 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. Senior Brookie Weidman (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) finished 2-for-3 and sophomore Cassie Kardias (Shrub Oak/Lakeland) doubled and drove in two runs.

Stefanie Rosenberg's pinch-hit double to lead off the top of the fifth broke up Cortland's combined no-hit bid. She eventually scored on an error to cut Cortland's lead to 8-1 and temporarily avoid the eight-run rule coming into effect. However, Cortland ended the game in the bottom of the fifth on a Cross RBI single up the middle.

Cortland's five-run first inning featured two hits, including a Harman RBI single, as well as three Geneseo errors. Kardias and Meaghan Kohler (Franklin, NJ/Warren Hills Regional) drove in runs in the third and Harman doubled and scored on two wild pitches in the fourth.

Geneseo's Janine Montera allowed nine runs, three earned, in four and two-third innings. She gave up nine hits and three walks and struck out three. Geneseo is 19-19 on the season.

Cortland 9, Buffalo St. 1 (6 inn.) (Box Score)

Cortland led 2-0 after three innings before pulling away with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and the decisive four in the sixth. Rowell improved her record to 19-2 with six innings of five-hit ball. She allowed one unearned run, walked two and fanned five.

Martin finished 2-for-4 with her homer and three RBI, Kohler was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI and Harman was 2-for-3 with a walk. Sophomore Lucia Meola (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI and Cross was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI.

Kohler and Cross singled in runs in the second to put Cortland up 2-0. Meola singled in a run in the fourth, and Kardias had an RBI single in the fifth.

Buffalo State scored in the sixth on Aleesha Williams' RBI double. The Bengals had runners on second and third with one out, but Rowell struck out the next two batters to end the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Cross and Meola led off with back-to-back doubles, Harman singled and Martin blasted a shot to right to end the game.

Sam Strapason went 2-for-3 to lead the Bengals (17-20). Kaylee Lekki allowed 14 hits and three walks and gave up nine runs, seven earned.

Earlier in the day, Buffalo State blanked Fredonia, 7-0, and Plattsburgh eliminated Fredonia with a 1-0 decision

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