ITHACA, N.Y. – Junior
Amber Corrigan (Montgomery/Valley Central) tossed a three-hit shutout for her third victory in as many days as fourth-seeded Cortland blanked third-seeded Lebanon Valley College, 4-0, in the winner's bracket final of the Ithaca NCAA Div. III Regional.
Cortland (31-14) won its 13th straight game and is one victory away from advancing to the NCAA Div. III World Series. The Red Dragons will play Sunday at 2 p.m. versus the winner of Sunday's opening game between Lebanon Valley and top-seeded St. John Fisher. If Cortland loses, a final game will be played Monday at 10 a.m.
Corrigan struck out seven batters, six in the first two innings, and walked two as she improved to 17-4 on the season. Freshman
Jamie Bucci (Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow) went 3-for-3 with an RBI, senior
Cassie Kardias (Shrub Oak/Lakeland) was 3-for-4 and freshman
Carrie Stoddard (Liverpool), in her first action of the regional, finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Cortland outhit the Dutchmen, 11-3.
Sam Derr dropped to 24-5 with the loss for Lebanon Valley (34-6-1). She allowed four runs, two earned, on 11 hits in six innings. She struck out five and did not walk anyone. Allie Hartman was 1-for-2 with a walk, while Tessa Deardorff and Steffani Secola each finished 1-for-3.
Cortland opened the scoring in the top of the second. Kardias led off with an infield single. She stole second during a strikeout that was the second out and scored when Stoddard singled through the right side off a diving second baseman.
In the third, Bucci beat out an infield single and took second on a one-out single by
Lucia Meola (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse). With two outs, Kardias singled to second base. The second baseman then kicked the ball away allowing Bucci to score.
The Red Dragons' two-run fourth started when
Erin Wolstenholme (Oneonta) reached on an error. Stoddard singled and
Briana Barca (Eastchester) bunted the runners to second and third. Bucci singled to third to drive in Wolstenholme and
Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) singled through the left side to drive in pinch-runner
Jennifer Ranieri (West Islip).
Lebanon Valley had only one runner reach second base. Mary Readinger walked to lead off the fifth and was bunted to second by Katie Deardorff. Corrigan, however, induced two groundouts to end the inning.
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