CORTLAND, N.Y. – Sophomore Niki Barbato (East Meadow/Holy Trinity) hit a three-run homer in the opening game and sophomore Kaleigh Churchill (Camillus/West Genesee) and junior Carrie Stoddard (Liverpool) each had three RBI in the second game as Cortland swept Fredonia, 6-4 and 9-1, in a home SUNYAC doubleheader. The second game was called in the fifth inning due to the eight-run rule.

After the sweep, Cortland improves to 17-7 (7-1 SUNYAC). Fredonia suffered its first two league losses and is now 11-10 (8-2 SUNYAC). The Red Dragons have won nine in a row.

In the two games, junior Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) went 4-for-6 with a double, a walk, two RBI and a run and Churchill combined to go 4-for-6 with three RBI and a run.

Cortland is scheduled to play six home doubleheaders in an 11-day span starting Tuesday, April 14, at 3 p.m. versus defending SUNYAC champion Oneonta.


Game 1: Cortland 6, Fredonia 4 (Box Score)

The teams traded unearned runs in the first inning. Alyssa Morgan had an RBI single for the Blue Devils to score Kate Nicholson, who reached on an error to start the game. Senior Erin Wolstenholme (Oneonta) answered with an RBI double for the Red Dragons to drive in Jamie Bucci (Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow), who led off with a  single after her at-bat was prolonged by a dropped foul ball.

Fredonia retook the lead in third on an RBI groundout from Morgan, but Cortland was able to answer right back in the bottom half of the inning on Barbato's three-run blast. The Red Dragons added two in the fourth on a Cork two-RBI single. Bucci went 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs, Wolstenholme went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Cork finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run.  Morgan was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run and Jess Lauck finished 2-for-4 for Fredonia.

The Blue Devils pulled back within two in the fifth on a double from Lindsey Forness that brought home two runs. Fredonia had runners on second and third with one out later on in the inning, but freshman Katie Pitkin (Brownville/General Brown) came on and struck out consecutive batters to end the inning.

In the seventh the Blue Devils had runners on second and third yet again, but sophomore Jamie Lachall (Philadelphia, PA/Sun Valley) got the next batter to line out to second to end the game.

Senior Sarah Salamone (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) started for Cortland and pitched four and a third innings on the way to picking up her fourth win of the year. She allowed eight hits, four runs (one earned) and struck out three. Pitkin struck out the only two batters she faced and Lachall earned her third save in as many games. She pitched the final two innings, giving up two hits, no runs and striking out two.

Kelsey Gannett was in the circle for the Blue Devils. She pitched six innings and gave up nine hits, six runs (four earned), and two walks and struck out two.

Game 2: Cortland 9, Fredonia 1 (5 inn.) (Box Score)

Cortland scored all nine of its runs over the span of three innings. In the second, Churchill hit an RBI single that brought home sophomore Bianca Trio (Mahopac), who was pinch running after a leadoff error. Stoddard added a two-run double in the third to go along with an RBI double from senior Devynn Wilder (Oswego) and RBI singles from Churchill and senior Courtney Kadish (East Amherst/Williamsville North). In the fourth, Churchill and Stoddard both hit RBI singles and Barbato scored on a throwing error.

Churchill was 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run and Stoddard finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Cork went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run.

Fredonia's lone run of the game came on an RBI groundout by Madeline Medina in the fourth. Lauck went 1-for-3 with a run for the Blue Devils.

Sophomore Alexandrea Flint (Dalton/Keshequa) earned her third win of the season for the Red Dragons. In five innings, she allowed five hits and one run, walked two and fanned two.

Aldyn Carlson got the start for Fredonia and pitched two and two thirds innings before giving way to Megan Degroat, who pitched the rest of the way. Carlson gave up five hits, six runs (five earned), and five walks and struck out one. Degroat allowed five hits and three runs (two earned). She walked one and struck out two.