WINTER HAVEN, FLA. –
Alicia Hibbard's (Canastota) three-run homer capped a five-run rally in the top of the seventh inning as nationally fourth-ranked Cortland defeated Simpson College of Iowa, 6-4, at the Rebel Spring Games. Earlier in the day, the Red Dragons (3-1) fell 3-0 to second-ranked Montclair State as Red Hawk pitcher Alex Hill threw a two-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts.
Montclair St. 3, Cortland 0 (Box Score)
Hill, a first-team All-American last season, improved to 3-0 on the season. Montclair is now 4-0 and has not allowed a run. She allowed five baserunners on two hits, a walk and two hit batters, but only two that reached second base.
Hibbard doubled to lead off the second before Hill registered a pop-up and two strikeouts.
Alexandrea Flint (Dalton/Keshequa) was hit by a pitch to start the sixth and moved to second on a
Jamie Bucci (Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow) one-out single. A strikeout and a fielder's choice ended that threat.
Montclair took the lead with two runs in the top of the first. Brooke Powers led off with a single and scored on a two-out double by Melissa Rustemeyer. Melany Zeller then reached on a fielding error, and a throwing error on the same play allowed Rustemeyer to score on a close play at the plate.
The Red Hawks added an insurance run in the sixth. Powers and Guillen singled, although Powers was thrown out at third on a delayed steal attempt. Dana Amato reached on an error to move Guillen to third and Rustemeyer singled up the middle to drive in the run. Rustemeyer finished 3-for-3 with two RBI and Powers was 2-for-3.
Amber Corrigan (Montgomery/Valley Central) pitched four innings for Cortland and allowed three hits and two runs, one earned, in four innings.
Jamie Lachall (Aston, PA/Sun Valley) threw the final three innings and gave up three hits, one walk and one unearned run.
Cortland 6, Simpson 4 (Box Score)
Cortland trailed 4-1 and had only four hits entering the top of the seventh inning. With one out,
Makaylee Dowd (Saratoga Springs) singled to center and
Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) singled through the left side. Pinch hitter
Carrie Stoddard (Liverpool) singled up the middle to drive in Dowd, and on the throw home Cork took third and Stoddard went to second.
Meaghan Kohler (Franklin, NJ/Warren Hills Regional) singled to center to plate Cork and draw Cortland within 4-3. Hibbard then smashed the first pitch she saw over the fence in center for a three-run homer and a 6-4 lead.
Lachall, who entered in relief in the fifth, retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh and earned her second win of the season. Flint started in the circle and gave up one hit and two runs over three and a third innings. She walked three.
Sarah Salamone (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) permitted two hits and two runs, one earned, and walked two in one inning.
Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Bucci led off with an infield single and took second as the ball was thrown back to the circle. She moved to third on a one-out groundout and scored on
Erin Wolstenholme's (Oneonta) single down the third base line.
Simpson put up three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Hailey Jensen walked, went to second on a groundout and scored on pitcher Abbie Van Vleet's double to left center. Stacie Brown doubled to right center to drive in a run and scored on an error two batters later.
Wolstenholme and Cork each finished 2-for-4 and Hibbard was 1-for-4 with three RBI for Cortland. Jensen went 1-for-2 with two walks for Simpson (10-3).
Cortland will face Catholic University and Muskingum on Tuesday morning in Auburndale.
