CORTLAND, N.Y. – Top-seeded and nationally 22nd-ranked Cortland scored seven runs in each of the first two innings as the Red Dragons defeated sixth-seeded Fredonia, 15-1, to open the 2015 SUNYAC Softball Tournament at Dragon Field. The game was called after the top of the fifth due to the eight-run rule.
Cortland (31-10), which is hosting the six-team, double-elimination tournament, will play Buffalo State 9 a.m. Friday. Thursday's other action included second seed Geneseo beating fifth seed Brockport, 6-1, third seed Oneonta defeating fourth seed Buffalo St., 3-2, and Brockport eliminating Fredonia, 10-1 in five innings.
Cortland hit three homers in the win over the Blue Devils.
Courtney Kadish (East Amherst/Williamsville North) hit a two-run shot in the first, and in the second
Mikayla Shade (Bethlehem) hit a two-run homer and
Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) wrapped the inning's scoring with a grand slam.
Andrea Schoonmaker (Poughkeepsie/Marlboro) finished 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs.
Devynn Wilder (Oswego) went 2-for-2 with two runs, Shade was 2-for-2 with a homer, three RBI and two runs, and Kadish went 1-for-1 with a walk, homer, two RBI and two runs. Also for the Red Dragons,
Jamie Bucci (Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow) ended 2-for-3 with a double, walk, RBI and two runs. Cork was 1-for-2 with four RBI.
Jamie Lachall (Philadelphia, PA/Sun Valley) won her 11th straight decision and improved to 12-2 on the season. She gave up one run on four hits and three walks and struck out two in three innings.
Sarah Salamone (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) threw the final two innings and did not allow any runs. She permitted two hits, walked one and struck out two.
Fredonia starter Kelsey Gannett allowed eight runs, but only two earned, in one-plus innings. Fredonia committed an error with two outs on a play that would have ended the inning and kept the game tied at 1-1. Instead, Cortland followed with a Schoonmaker two-run double, Kadish's two-run homer, a
Rosie Phillips (Geneva/Our Lady of Mercy) RBI double two batters later, and a Bucci RBI double.
Cortland's seven-run second opened with a walk that chased Gannett. Shade greeted reliever Aldyn Carlson with a two-run homer to right. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Cork fouled off six straight pitches before hitting a grand slam down the left field line. Cortland's final run came in the third on a
Stephanie Tirone (Amherst/Williamsville South) sac fly.
Fredonia (13-18 after its loss to Brockport) took a 1-0 lead in the first on a two-out Lindsey Forness RBI double. The Blue Devils also loaded the bases with two outs in the third before a groundout ended the inning.
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