KISSIMMEE, FLA. –  Cortland scored four runs in the top of the fifth and the Red Dragons defeated Wheaton College (Mass.), 4-1, to salvage a split of two contests at the Rebel Spring Games softball tournament. Earlier in the day Cortland allowed six runs in the first inning in an 8-3 loss to Gustavus Adolphus.
 
Cortland (1-3) will be off Tuesday and will return to action Wednesday with games versus Hamilton and Westminster (Pa.).
 
Gustavus Adolphus 8, Cortland 3
 
The Gusties (11-4) sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six times in the top of the first to take a 6-0 lead. The big plays in the inning were a Jena Willis two-run single and a Caitlin Kammerer RBI single, with another run scoring on an error during a steal of third base by Emily Webb.
 
Cortland threatened in three of the first four innings and got three runs back. The Red Dragons left the bases loaded, however, in the first and fourth innings and two on in the second. Cortland picked up two runs in the second on an Amber Rice (Parish/A-P-W) single, a Hannah Thornhill (Heuvelton) walk, a Rosie Phillips (Geneva/Our Lady of Mercy) bunt single, a Kelly O'Gorman (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa)one-out RBI single, and a passed ball that allowed Thornhill to score. The Red Dragons scored in the fourth on Kaleigh Churchill's (Camillus/West Genesee) RBI single.
 
Gustavus added two insurance runs in the seventh. With runners on first and second, Willis beat out a grounder to short. The runner heading to third rounded the base and Cortland threw behind her. She took off for home and was able to score, and a throwing error on the play allowed another run to score.
 
Willis finished 3-for-4 with two RBI, Kammerer went 2-for-2 with an RBI, and Emily Carlson finished 1-for-3 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored for Gustavus. Hannah Heacox allowed eight hits and three runs over seven innings for the win. She struck out six and walked five.
 
Andrea Schoonmaker (Marlboro) finished 2-for-4 and O'Gorman was 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI for the Red Dragons. Thornhill ended 1-for-2 with a walk and run scored. Jamie Lachall (Philadelphia, PA/Sun Valley) entered in relief of starter Sam Van Dorn (Medford/Patchogue-Medford) in the first inning and pitched the final six and two thirds innings. She allowed six hits and two runs, one earned, with three walks and six strikeouts. Van Dorn suffered the loss with six runs allowed, three earned, in a third of an inning.
 
Cortland 4, Wheaton 1
 
Alexandrea Flint (Dalton/Keshequa) allowed one run over seven innings for the victory to even her record at 1-1 on the year. She scattered seven hits, walked three and struck out three. Wheaton's Allison Cox took the loss with four innings of six-hit ball. Two of the four runs she permitted were unearned.
 
The Lyons grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Mary DeMoura led off with a double, was bunted to third by Rebecca Seifert, and scored on Caroline Fairbanks' sacrifice fly to deep right. Wheaton had threatened the previous inning when, with runners on first and second, Lily Ongkiko singled to right. However, the runner going to third was held, but the runner advancing to second continued to third and eventually was tagged out in a rundown before a run could score.
 
Cortland started its four-run fifth when Phillips reached on an error. Schoonmaker put down a sacrifice bunt, and a wild throw on the play allowed Phillips to advance to third and Schoonmaker to second. O'Gorman followed with a two-run single to right center to give the Red Dragons the lead.
 
Mikayla Shade (Glenmont/Bethlehem) walked, and Churchill and Victoria Brown (Fresh Meadows/Archbishop Molloy) hit back-to-back RBI singles to put Cortland up 4-1. Wheaton avoided further damage when, with the bases loaded, it induced a pop-up and a double play grounder.
 
Wheaton came close to tying the game in the bottom of the seventh. Ongkiko singled with one out. After a fielder's choice forceout for the second out, Seifert walked to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Fairbanks hit a deep fly ball to center that O'Gorman caught at about the warning track to end the game.
 
Shade finished 2-for-3 with a walk and double, while Churchill and Brown were each 2-for-4 with an RBI. Stephanie Tirone (Williamsville/Williamsville South) went 1-for-2 with a walk. For Wheaton (2-4), Ongkiko and Carly Venditti each ended 2-for-3, DeMoura was 2-for-4, and Seifert registered two walks and two sac bunts.