UNION, N.J. – The Cortland softball team lost a pair of non-league games at nationally ninth-ranked Kean University, falling to the Cougars 3-1 in the first game and 8-0 in six innings in the second contest.
 
The Red Dragons (7-8) will begin their SUNYAC schedule with a doubleheader at Potsdam Tuesday at 3 p.m. that was originally scheduled for this past Friday.
 
Kean 3, Cortland 1
 
Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a Skyler Hoyt (Endicott/Union-Endicott) solo homer. The Red Dragons later had runners on second and third in the inning after a Tori Scharff (Poughkeepsie/Arlington) single, an error and a passed ball but were unable to score. Cortland also had decent scoring chances come up short despite one-out doubles by Alyssa Finno (Kingston) in the fourth and Jess Miller (Campbell Hall/Goshen) in the fifth.
 
Kean took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Julie Raba doubled and Jackie Riley walked. Sarah Zengel singled, but Cortland centerfielder Taylor Felicello (Marlboro) threw out Raba at home for the first out. With two outs and runners on second and third, Kaitin Stahlbrand hit a two-run single up the middle to put the Cougars in front.
 
Kean added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth without the benefit of a hit. Stahlbrand was hit by a pitch and Gabriella Fredette put down a bunt and was safe on a wild throw, with pinch runner Grace Cofino moving from first to third on the play. Maria Bonfanti followed with a bunt in which she was thrown out at first, but on that throw Cofino raced home and scored.
 
Scharff finished 2-for-3 with a double and Miller was 1-for-2 with a double in addition to Hoyt's homer for Cortland. Seven players finished with one hit apiece for the Cougars. Riley earned the win in the circle with a five-hitter that featured seven strikeouts and no walks. Sam Van Dorn (Medford/Patchogue-Medford) gave up three runs, two earned, on seven hits with two walks over five innings and suffered the loss. Courtney Kane (Bellport) recorded three outs in the sixth, including the Bonfanti bunt that drove in Kean's last run.
 
Kean 8, Cortland 0 (6 inn.)
 
Kean (20-3) led 1-0 after three innings before breaking the game open with five runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Cougars added a run in the fifth and forced the ending of the game on the eight-run rule after Stahlbrand's one-out homer in the sixth.
 
Cortland threatened in the top of the second after a Hannah Feldman (Buffalo/Sweet Home) leadoff single, a Scharff sac bunt and a Kiley Besko (Poughkeepsie/Arlington) single to left. A grounder to short, however, resulted in a throw-out at home for the second out and a flyout ended the inning.
 
Kean scored in the second on Olivia Zengel's bases-loaded walk. In the fourth Fredette led off with a single and Caroline Ratti hit a one-out, two-run homer to left center. After singles by Olivia Zengel and Raba, Riley reached on an error, and a run scored on the play after a throwing error from the outfield. Sarah Zengle followed with a two-run single to put the Cougars ahead 6-0. Kean's fifth-inning run came on a Ratti RBI double.
 
Besko finished 2-for-3 and Scharff and Ashley Votta (Marlboro) each were 1-for-2 for the Red Dragons. Cady Walts (Cortland) started and gave up six runs, three earned, over four innings for the loss. Kane tossed the final inning and third and gave up two runs.
 
Stahlbrand registered a five-hit shutout in the circle for Kean with two strikeouts and no walks. Ratti finished 2-for-4 with a homer, double and three RBI, Olivia Zengel was 2-for-2 with two walks and an RBI, Fredette went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and Sarah Zengel was 2-for-4 with two RBI as part of Kean's 13-hit attack.