KISSIMMEE, FLA. –
Niki Barbato's (East Meadow/Holy Trinity) sacrifice fly broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth and the nationally 23rd-ranked Cortland softball team held off a late rally to defeat Franklin & Marshall, 2-1, to complete a 2-0 day. The Red Dragons (6-2) opened play Thursday with a 6-0 victory versus Lesley University behind
Alexandrea Flint's (Dalton/Keshequa) two-hit shutout.
Cortland closes out its 10-game Florida trip Friday versus Washington College (Md.) at 11:15 a.m. and Ramapo College at 1:30 p.m.
Cortland 6, Lesley 0 Flint improved to 3-1 on the season with her third shutout. She gave up only two third-inning hits to the Lynx (1-7) on a Theresa Pereira bunt single and a Selena Quezada two-out hit. Flint struck out one batter and walked no one.
Cortland jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first off Lesley starter Alyson Nisbet.
Jamie Bucci (Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow) walked, stole second, and scored on an
Andrea Schoonmaker (Marlboro) RBI single through the right side. After a
Diane Cork (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) single and a fielder's choice, Barbato singled up the middle to score Schoonmaker. Two batters later,
Jamie Corradina (Dobbs Ferry) hit a double to right to drive home two runs.
The Red Dragons added a run in the third. Cork and
Kaleigh Churchill (Camillus/West Genesee) led off with back-to-back singles. Cork tagged from second on a one-out flyout, and the throw from center was wild allowing Cork to score. Cortland's final run came in the seventh when Cork doubled and Churchill singled, and when Churchill was briefly caught off first and retreated, the throw to first was wild and Cork came home.
Cork and Churchill each finished 3-for-4, with Cork scoring twice and Churchill once.
Erin Wolstenholme (Oneonta) went 2-for-4, Corradina was 1-for-3 with a walk, double and two RBI, and Barbato ended 1-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch, RBI and run.
Cortland 2, Franklin & Marshall 1 Jamie Lachall (Philadelphia, PA/Sun Valley) earned her first win of the season with a complete-game four-hitter. She walked one, struck out two and gave up one run. She bested F&M starter Isabel Schaefer, who gave up five hits and two runs over six innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
Each team scored a run in the first. The Diplomats plated their run in the top of the inning without the benefit of a hit. Melissa Bollmeyer walked and Erin Russell successfully laid down a sac bunt. Bollmeyer alertly stole third on the play when Cortland failed to cover the base. Samantha Clemens followed with a sac fly to left.
Cortland tied the game when Bucci walked and was bunted to second by Schoonmaker. Bucci stole third with two outs when F&M's catcher tried to pick her off at second, and Churchill lined a single up the middle to bring home the run.
Each team mounted one decent threat over the next four innings. Katie Wenger led off the second with a double for F&M but was thrown out trying to advance to third on a grounder to short. Cortland loaded the bases in the fourth on singles by Cork and
Mikayla Shade (Bethlehem) and a Barbato walk, but a pop-out and fielder's choice ended the inning.
Cortland's go-ahead rally in the bottom of the sixth started when Churchill chopped a ball over the third baseman's head and down the left field line for a one-out double. She took third on a wild pitch and, after Shade walked, Barbato hit the first pitch she saw for a sac fly to right.
F&M opened the seventh with Sam Burns being hit by a pitch. Pinch runner Tiara Halstead moved to second on a wild pitch and, with one out, pinch hitter Karly Newcomb beat out a grounder to short for a single to put runners at first and third. Lachall responded by striking out the next hitter and getting Bollmeyer to foul out to Cork in left field to end the game.
Churchill finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Bucci and Shade each went 1-for-2, with Bucci also walking and scoring a run.
