EWING, N.J. – Senior outfielder
Meaghan Kohler (Franklin, NJ/Warren Hills Regional) hit her school-record 25th career homer during a five-run third inning as Cortland (6-6) defeated TCNJ, 8-6, to salvage a doubleheader split versus the host Lions. TCNJ (6-10) won the opener, 3-1, behind an Ashtin Helmer four-hitter.
Game 1: TCNJ 3, Cortland 1 (Box Score)
In a similar game to last year's TCNJ-Cortland opener, Helmer allowed four hits, a walk and one unearned run and struck out eight for the victory. Last year, she beat Cortland, 3-0, on a seven-hit shutout.
The teams were scoreless until TCNJ scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nicole Brodbeck homered to lead off the inning. Olivia Fahr singled and was bunted to second, and with two outs a pair of walks loaded the bases. Jessica Kennick followed with a two-run single up the middle.
Cortland loaded the bases with two outs in the first but couldn't score. Helmer allowed only one baserunner over the next five innings on a one-out error in the fifth. In the top of the seventh,
Erin Wolstenholme (Oneonta) reached on an error to start the frame. She went to second on a groundout and to third on a
Carrie Stoddard (Liverpool) single.
Briana Barca (Eastchester) singled to center to drive in Wolstenholme to cut the deficit to 3-1, but Helmer struck out the next two batters to end the game.
Freshman
Alexandrea Flint (Dalton/Keshequa) started for Cortland and gave up seven hits and two walks in five innings. She allowed all three runs and struck out two.
Amber Corrigan (Montgomery/Valley Central) retired all three batters she faced in the sixth.
Game 2: Cortland 8, TCNJ 6 (Box Score)
Kohler hit one of three Cortland homers during a five-run third inning that gave the Red Dragons a 6-1 lead. The blast was her third of the season and the 25th of her collegiate career, breaking the school record of 24 set by Lara Stone from 2001-04.
The big inning started with a
Rosie Phillips (Geneva/Our Lady of Mercy) walk and steal, followed by a
Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) two-run homer. With one out,
Alicia Hibbard (Canastota) singled and Kohler hit a two-run round-tripper to left. Stoddard then greeted reliever Katie Hourihan with a solo homer to left.
Cortland led 1-0 in the second on a
Courtney Kadish (East Amherst/Williamsville North) RBI single, but TCNJ tied the game on Fahr's RBI single in the bottom of the inning. The Lions scored in the third on a Kristen Lake solo homer, but Cortland answered with a run in the fourth on a Kohler RBI single.
TCNJ drew within 7-5 in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out, three-run homer by Kennick. Cortland added what proved to be a valuable insurance run in the sixth when Cork led off with a walk,
Leah Saavedra (Walworth/Wayne Central) bunted for a single and Hibbard hit an RBI single up the middle.
The hosts plated a run in the sixth on a Christine Desiderio RBI single to make the score 8-6, but left two runners on. Corrigan entered to pitch the seventh and allowed a leadoff single to Lindsey Williams, but retired the next three hitters for her first save as a Red Dragon.
Cork finished 2-for-3 with a homer, walk, two RBI and three runs scored and Kohler was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Hibbard ended 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. Eight different players recorded one hit apiece for TCNJ.
Sarah Salamone (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) started for Cortland and registered her first win of the year. She gave up five hits and no walks in five innings with one strikeout and allowed five runs.
Jamie Lachall (Aston, PA/Sun Valley) allowed the run in the sixth before Corrigan closed the door in the seventh.
Alex Carisone started for TCNJ and gave up four hits, one walk and five runs, four earned, in two and a third innings. She fanned two. Hourihan threw the final four and two-thirds innings and gave up three runs on five hits with a strikeout and three walks.
Cortland's doubleheader at Nazareth on Tuesday, March 25, has been postponed due to the weather and will be played on Thursday, April 24, at Nazareth at 3 p.m.
