ONEONTA, N.Y. – Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) homered twice and drove in five runs as Cortland stayed alive in the SUNYAC softball tournament with a 14-6 win over Buffalo State. The game was called after six innings due to the eight-run rule. Earlier in the day, the Red Dragons nearly rallied from a 7-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh before falling to Brockport, 7-4, in a winner's bracket game.

Cortland (27-14) will face either Oneonta or Brockport in an elimination game Saturday at 1 p.m. Oneonta and Brockport are both 2-0 thus far in the tournament and play Saturday at 11 a.m., with the loser then facing Cortland. If Cortland wins, it will play the remaining undefeated team and will need to win twice – once Saturday and once Sunday – to win the conference title.

Brockport 7, Cortland 4 (Box Score/Play-by-Play)

Brockport (25-9) recorded 11 hits in its win over Cortland. Gabrielle Rivers finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored, Brianna Ferchen was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs and Nicole Atkins went 2-for-3 with a run. Korey Kibling gave up eight hits and three walks and fanned one in a complete-game victory.

The Golden Eagles scored in the first on an Emily Dumas RBI single and put up four runs in the fifth on a wild pitch, a Brianna Harris two-run single and an Andrea Schell RBI double. Brockport padded its lead to 7-0 in the sixth with one run scoring on an error and another on a Ferchen RBI single.

Cortland managed only three hits through the first six innings before its bats woke up in the seventh. Courtney Kadish (East Amherst/Williamsville North) led off with a double and scored on a one-out Briana Barca (Eastchester) RBI double. Rosie Phillips (Geneva/Our Lady of Mercy) followed with an RBI double and Cortland trailed 7-2.

With two outs, Phillips scored from third on a wild pitch as Cork drew a walk. Meaghan Kohler (Franklin, NJ/Warren Hills Regional) doubled to left center to drive in Cork and Alicia Hibbard (Canastota) singled to put runners on first and third and bring the potential tying run to the plate. Kibling, however, induced a groundout to end the game.

Barca finished 2-for-3 and Kohler and Hibbard were each 2-for-4 for the Red Dragons. Sarah Salamone (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) started and took the loss after giving up four runs on six hits and a walk in four innings.

Cortland 14, Buffalo St. 6 (6 inn.) (Box Score/Play-by-Play)

Cortland took a 7-1 lead after two innings before holding off a mid-game charge by the Bengals (19-16). Buffalo State finished 1-2 at the tournament, with both of its losses coming to Cortland.

The Bengals went up 1-0 in the top of the first on a Joanna Bardak RBI groundout. Cork tied the game with a solo homer in the first, followed later in the inning by a Carrie Stoddard (Liverpool) RBI single that gave Cortland the lead.

In the second, Barca singled with one out, Phillips walked and Jamie Bucci (Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow) bunted for a single to load the bases. Cork quickly unloaded them with a grand slam and Cortland led 6-1. Stoddard added an RBI groundout four batters later.

Buffalo State came back with two in the third on Shelly Maggard and Kate Brownell RBI singles. Barca led off the bottom of the third with an infield single and eventually scored on an error to put the Red Dragons ahead 8-3.

In the fourth, Jenna Clarke doubled and scored on a Jean Stahl RBI single, and singles by Jordan Dudish and Stephanie Novo loaded the bases for the Bengals with no outs. Salamone entered at that point in relief of starter Alexandrea Flint (Dalton/Keshequa). She gave up two fielder's choice grounders that resulted in force outs while plating runs, and she struck out the next hitter to end the inning with Cortland leading 8-6.

Cortland responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. The inning started with consecutive singles by Hibbard, Kadish and Stoddard, the last of which drove in a run. Erin Wolstenholme (Oneonta) followed with an RBI double, and three batters later Mikayla Shade (Bethlehem) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. The Red Dragons ended the game with three runs in the sixth on RBI singles by Bucci, Kohler and Hibbard.

Cortland's 16-hit attack was led by Cork, who finished 3-for-5 with her two homers, five RBI and three runs scored. Hibbard went 3-for-5 with an RBI, Stoddard was 2-for-4 with three RBI and Wolstenholme went 2-for-2 with two doubles and an RBI. Barca ended the game 2-for-4 with two runs and Bucci was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs.

Novo finished 3-for-4 with two runs and Maggard went 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Bengals.

Salamone earned the win since Flint didn't pitch the required four innings as a starter. Salamone allowed two hits and no runs in three innings with no walks and one strikeout and is 14-3 on the season. Buffalo State starter Maddie Coneys took the loss after being knocked out in the first inning.

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