RALEIGH, N.C. – Cortland scored 16 runs in each game as the Red Dragons swept host William Peace University, 16-7 and 16-6, in a non-league doubleheader. The second game ended after six innings due to the eight-run rule. Cortland evened its record at 4-4 with the wins and will play Capital University (Ohio) and Salisbury University each twice at the Salisbury Tournament Friday and Saturday.
Game 1: Cortland 16, William Peace 7 (Box Score)
Senior
Lucia Meola (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) finished 3-for-3 with a double, two walks and two runs and junior
Meaghan Kohler (Franklin Hills, NJ/Warren Hills Regional) was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs as part of Cortland's 18-hit attack. Senior
Cassie Kardias (Shrub Oak/Lakeland) ended 2-for-4 with a double, walk and RBI and freshman
Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs.
The game actually resembled a pitchers' duel early as Cortland sophomore starter
Sarah Salamone (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) and William Peace starter Heather Dindinger each opened with three shutout innings.
Cortland, however, exploded for seven runs on nine hits and sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the fourth. The big hits in the inning included a Kohler two-run single, an
Alicia Hibbard (Canastota) RBI double and RBI singles by
Carrie Stoddard (Liverpool),
Beth Lamison (Liverpool) and Cork.
The host Pacers then scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to knock out Salamone. Caroline Evans, Sarah English and Victoria Wright hit consecutive RBI singles during the stretch.
Cortland scored once on an error in the fifth and twice in the sixth on a Kardias RBI triple and another Pacers' error. The hosts, however, closed to within 10-6 on a Wright run-scoring single and an Anna Weavil bases-loaded walk.
Tiffany Sampere (Liverpool), who had entered the game in the fourth, struck out the next batter representing the potential tying run to end the threat.
The Red Dragons then put the game away with six runs in the top of the seventh. The inning was highlighted by back-to-back RBI doubles by
Courtney Kadish (Williamsville/Williamsville North) and
Amanda Atkins (Clarence). Kailyn Abrams hit a solo homer for the Pacers in the bottom of the seventh.
Sampere earned the win in relief. She gave up two hits and three walks and struck out seven in three and two-thirds innings. Two of the three runs she allowed were earned.
Game 2: Cortland 16, William Peace 6 (6 inn.) (Box Score)
Amber Corrigan (Montgomery/Valley Central) finished 2-for-3 with two runs at the plate and earned the win with two and a third innings of one-hit scoreless relief. She struck out three and walked one. Meola and Atkins were each 2-for-4 and
Nicole Gallo (Mount Sinai) was 2-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. Meola doubled and drove in three runs and Atkins recorded two RBI and scored twice.
Cortland sent 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run second inning after spotting the Pacers a 1-0 lead. Meola doubled in two runs to put Cortland up 4-1, followed by a Cork RBI single. Gallo capped the inning with a three-run double to left.
The Red Dragons scored once in the third and four times in the fifth to go up 13-2. Atkins and Meola each singled in runs in the fourth. The Pacers (2-17-1) scored four runs in the fourth on a Jacey Quarles RBI single, a Dindinger two-run double and a Lindsey Haver RBI single.
Cortland finished the scoring with three runs in the top of the sixth with the help of two errors and a
Devynn Wilder (Oswego) RBI single.
