GENESEO, N.Y. – Cortland secured the second seed for next week's SUNYAC tournament after sweeping host Geneseo in a doubleheader to conclude the conference regular-season schedule. The Red Dragons on the first game, 11-1 in five innings, and held on to capture the nightcap, 5-3.
Cortland (20-14, 13-5 SUNYAC) will face fifth-seeded New Paltz in the opening round of the six-team, double-elimination SUNYAC tournament Thursday at 11 a.m. at Brockport. The host Golden Eagles will play sixth-seeded Oswego and third-seeded Plattsburgh will play fourth-seeded Geneseo in other opening contests Thursday.
Game 1: Cortland 11, Geneseo 1 (5 inn.) (Box Score)
Senior
Cassie Kardias (Shrub Oak/Lakeland) homered and drove in three runs to lead Cortland to the win. The game was called after five innings due to the eight-run rule. Kardias hit a solo homer in the third and singled in a run during a six-run fourth and finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) and
Lucia Meola (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) each went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored and
Nicole Gallo (Mount Sinai) drove in two runs.
Amber Corrigan (Montgomery/Valley Central) tossed four innings of scoreless four-hit ball for the win and is 8-4 on the season. She struck out two and walked two.
Samantha Trapasso was 2-for-2 and Lexi Williams drove in a run for Geneseo. Katie Gallagher allowed eight runs on eight hits in three innings.
Cortland scored four times in the first on a Meola RBI double, a Kardias RBI grounder, and RBI groundouts by Gallo and
Courtney Kadish (Williamsville/Williamsville North). The Red Dragons' six-run fourth featured a Cork RBI single, an
Alicia Hibbard (Canastota) bases-loaded walk, Kardias' RBI single and a Gallo RBI groundout. Two other runs in the inning scored on wild pitches.
Geneseo scored in the fifth on a Williams RBI single, but the Knights left runners on second and third to end the game.
Game 2: Cortland 5, Geneseo 3 (Box Score)
Cortland again jumped out early with four runs in the top of the first. Meola doubled, Hibbard singled and Kardias drove in Meola with a single. With two outs,
Erin Wolstenholme (Oneonta) hit an RBI single, Kadish walked and
Briana Barca (Eastchester) hit a two-run double.
Geneseo scored twice in the bottom of the first on a Trapasso RBI double and a Williams RBI single. The Knights drew within 4-3 in the third on a two-out error. Cortland added an insurance run in the fifth when Barca was hit by a pitch with two outs and scored on
Jamie Bucci's (Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow) RBI triple.
Geneseo opened the bottom of the seventh with singles by Ashley Fillmore and Samantha Brown.
Tiffany Sampere (Liverpool) entered to pitch and, after a flyout, allowed a Jessica Steubing single to load the bases with one out. Sampere, however, struck out the next two batters for her third save of the season.
Sarah Salamone (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) pitched six innings for the victory and is 6-8 on the season. She allowed three unearned runs on seven hits and one walk and struck out four. Meola and Wolstenholme each finished 2-for-4. For Geneseo (19-17, 11-7 SUNYAC), Corrin Spallone gave up eight hits and two walks in seven innings. Brown, Trapasso and Williams were each 2-for-4.
Cortland will host two non-league doubleheaders prior to the SUNYAC tournament. The Red Dragons face Elmira Sunday at 1 p.m. and Nazareth Tuesday at 3 p.m.
