PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Freshman
Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) hit a grand slam and drove in five runs and junior
Alicia Hibbard (Canastota) hit a pair of two-run homers as Cortland defeated Plattsburgh, 11-3 in six innings, to earn a split of a SUNYAC doubleheader versus the host Cardinals. Plattsburgh won the opener, 6-1, behind a 10-strikeout performance by pitcher Ashley Marshall.
Cortland is 7-3 in the SUNYAC and 14-12 overall. The Red Dragons are tied for second place in the SUNYAC with Geneseo, based on winning percentage. Plattsburgh, the defending league champion, is now 17-11 overall and 7-5 in the league.
Game 1: Plattsburgh 6, Cortland 1 (Box Score)
Marshall improved to 14-4 on the season with a complete-game victory. She scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out 10. The only run she allowed came in the top of the fourth when Cortland tied the game at 1-1.
Lucia Meola (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) singled, was bunted to second by Hibbard, went to third on a
Cassie Kardias (Shrub Oak/Lakeland) single and scored on a
Nicole Gallo (Mount Sinai) groundout.
Kristine Gay finished 3-for-3 for the Cardinals, including RBI singles in the third and sixth innings. The Cardinals took the lead for good on Samantha Capobianco's two-run double in the fourth and added three runs in the sixth on Brittany Marshall's bases-loaded walk, Gay's RBI single and a Brianna Clarke RBI infield single.
Gallo was 2-for-3 and Cork went 2-for-4 for the Red Dragons.
Amber Corrigan (Montgomery/Valley Central) took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks in five innings. She struck out four. In addition to Gay's three hits, Megan Price was 2-for-3 with two runs scored for the Cardinals.
Game 2: Cortland 11, Plattsburgh 3 (6 inn.) (Box Score)
Sophomore
Sarah Salamone (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) earned the win for Cortland with a complete-game five-hitter. She struck out three, walked one and allowed three runs, two earned, in six innings.
Plattsburgh led 1-0 on Michelle Iannone's RBI single in the bottom of the first. Cortland quickly responded with six runs in the top of the second. With one out, the Red Dragons loaded the bases on singles by
Erin Wolstenholme (Oneonta) and
Courtney Kadish (Williamsville/Williamsville North) and an error. Cork then hit a grand slam to give Cortland a 4-1 lead. With two outs, Meola walked and Hibbard hit a two-run round-tripper.
The lead grew to 8-1 with two runs in the third. Three of Cortland's first four batters reached after being hit by pitches. A wild pitch then scored a run, and Cork followed with an RBI single.
A Clarke RBI single and an error on a steal attempt accounted for Plattsburgh's final two runs in the bottom of the third. Cortland scored once in the fourth on a Kadish RBI single. In the sixth, Meola singled and Hibbard homered to create the eight-run margin that allowed the game to end early.
Cork finished 2-for-4 with five RBI and was 4-for-8 in the doubleheader. Kadish went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored and Hibbard was 2-for-4 with two homers, four RBI and two runs. Clarke ended 2-for-3 for Plattsburgh.
Cortland will play a non-league doubleheader at St. John Fisher on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
