CORTLAND, N.Y. –
Meaghan Kohler (Franklin, NJ/Warren Hills Regional) hit a three-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh and
Amber Corrigan (Montgomery/Valley Central) threw a six-hit shutout as Cortland defeated Brockport, 3-0, in the opening game of a SUNYAC doubleheader. The Red Dragons (16-12, 7-3 SUNYAC) completed the sweep of the Golden Eagles (11-5, 2-2 SUNYAC) with a 6-5 win behind a complete-game outing from
Sarah Salamone (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse).
Cortland honored its seniors – Kohler, Corrigan,
Alicia Hibbard (Canastota),
Briana Barca (Eastchester) and student assistant coach/former player
Jennifer Ranieri (West Islip) – in between games of the doubleheader.
Cortland's home doubleheader Sunday versus Potsdam has been postponed. Potsdam, per league rules, has to make up its postponed doubleheader at Buffalo State from Friday on Sunday. Cortland will host Potsdam on Monday, April 21, at 2 p.m.
GAME 1: Cortland 3, Brockport 0 (Box Score)Kohler ended the pitcher's duel between Corrigan and Brockport's Jaime Berger when she hit a three-run homer – her seventh round-tripper of the season – off the scoreboard in left field in the bottom of the seventh.
Barca was hit by a pitch to start the inning and was bunted to second by
Rosie Phillips (Geneva/Our Lady of Mercy). An infield single by
Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) put runners on first and third. Berger induced a short flyout for the second out before Kohler's game-ending blast.
Brockport had its best scoring chance fall just short in the top of the first. Brianna Ferchen walked and Brianna Harris hit a double to center to move Ferchen to third. Ferchen broke for home on a potential wild pitch but was thrown out on a close play at the plate. Corrigan then got a lineout to short and a flyout to right with Harris on third to end the threat.
Both teams left seven runners on base. The Golden Eagles also stranded runners on first and second with two outs in the second and first and second with one out in the sixth. Cortland had second and third with one out in the fifth before two infield pop-ups ended the inning. The Red Dragons also put the first two runners on in the fourth but couldn't advance them.
Corrigan, now 2-4, struck out four and walked two in her six-hitter. Berger gave up six hits and two walks and struck out five in six and two-thirds innings. Harris was 3-for-3 and Nicole Atkins went 2-for-3 for Brockport, while Cork finished 2-for-2 with two walks and Phillips was 1-for-2 for Cortland.
GAME 2: Cortland 6, Brockport 5 (Box Score)Cortland led 6-2 after five innings before holding off Brockport for the victory.
Devynn Wilder (Oswego) went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI,
Carrie Stoddard (Liverpool) finished 2-for-3 with a double and RBI and
Erin Wolstenholme (Oneonta) hit a two-run double. Salamone scattered eight hits, walked one and struck out one for the win and improved to 7-2. Two of the five runs she allowed were unearned.
Kelly Proper was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Emily Dumas and Sarah Rosenbarker were each 2-for-4 to lead Brockport. Emily Kolenda allowed nine hits and six runs over six innings. She struck out three and walked three.
Cortland struck for two runs in the bottom of the first when Cork and
Jamie Bucci (Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow) led off with walks and, with two outs, Wolstenholme just missed a three-run homer with her double off the top of the fence in left center.
Cortland's defense helped keep Brockport in check early as the Red Dragons turned double plays in each of the first two frames. The Golden Eagles, however, scored in the third when Proper hit a leadoff double, was bunted to third by Atkins and scored on a Cheyenne Bumpus groundout. Brockport tied the game in the fourth with an unearned run set up by two Red Dragon errors.
Wolstenholme walked with one out in the bottom of the fourth. She stole second, and an errant throw on the play allowed her to go to third. Stoddard followed with an RBI double to right, and she scored two batters later on Wilder's single to center.
In the fifth, Cork singled to right and Bucci reached on an infield single. Cork took third on the play, and Bucci went to second as the throw went to third. Kohler hit a sac fly to right to plate Cork, and when the throw from the outfield skipped past the catcher Bucci also scored to give Cortland a 6-2 lead.
Brockport tightened the game in the sixth on an RBI single by Proper, a passed ball that scored a run, and an RBI groundout by Atkins. With two outs and a runner on third, Salamone struck out the next batter to preserve Cortland's one-run lead. She then allowed only a runner on a two-out error in the seventh to secure the victory.