ONEONTA, N.Y. –
Kelly O'Gorman (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, double and three runs scored,
Lexi Szesnat (Colonie) finished 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI, and
Karlee Weeden (Maybrook/Valley Central) allowed two runs over six innings as Cortland defeated host Oneonta, 9-4, in the opening game of a SUNYAC East doubleheader. Oneonta won the second game, 7-5, as Cortland's rally from a 7-0 deficit fell just short after a five-run seventh inning.
Cortland (9-3, 6-2 SUNYAC East) was scheduled to host Skidmore in a non-league doubleheader on Sunday, but that has been canceled. The Red Dragons will host Ithaca in a non-league twinbill on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Cortland 9, Oneonta 4
Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the first when O'Gorman doubled and scored on a two-out Szesnat single, but Oneonta tied the game in the third on Caroline Koch's RBI single.
O'Gorman's grand slam highlighted a six-run top of the fourth that broke the tie. Cortland loaded the bases on singles by
Alyssa Finno (Hurley/Kingston) and
Sabrina Caputo (Westbury/W.T. Clarke) with no outs, and a
Gina Meyers (Liverpool) one-out single. O'Gorman hit one over the fence in center to give Cortland a 5-1 lead, and the Red Dragons added two runs later in the inning on an RBI infield single by
Jess Miller (Campbell Hall/Goshen), with an error allowing the second run to score.
Amber Badillo's leadoff homer in the bottom of the sixth drew Oneonta within 7-2. Each team scored twice in the seventh – Cortland on a Szesnat bases-loaded walk and a Miller RBI infield single, and Oneonta on a Delaney Haley RBI groundout and a Koch sacrifice fly.
Weeden ran her record to 5-0 after scattering six hits and walking one over six innings. She struck out three batters and allowed two runs. Lauren Weber took the loss for Oneonta after being charged with six runs in three and two thirds innings.
In addition to O'Gorman's and Szesnat's three-hit performances, Miller and
Taylor Felicello (Marlboro) each finished 2-for-4, with Miller driving home two runs and Felicello scoring twice. Koch and Meaghan Raleigh each finished 2-for-3 for Oneonta.
Oneonta 7, Cortland 5
Oneonta jumped out quickly with a four-run first inning. Raleigh and Haley each singled to start the inning, with a double steal putting runners on second and third. Koch singled in a run, and a Badillo RBI groundout made it 2-0. With two outs, Gianna DiGiovanni hit an RBI double and Victoria Hines added an RBI single.
The lead grew to 5-0 in the second on a Koch RBI single, and Badillo hit a two-run double in the fourth to give Oneonta a 7-0 advantage.
Cortland managed only five baserunners over the first six innings against Oneonta starter Marissa Dionisio. In the seventh, however, Finno led off with a double, Caputo reached on an error, and
Tori Reich (Cornwall) hit an RBI single down the right field line. Meyers greeted Oneonta reliever Weber with an RBI single to center, and O'Gorman reached on an error that loaded the bases with no outs and Cortland down 7-2.
Felicello hit a popup and was out on the infield fly rule, but on the play the runners each advanced, with Reich scoring.
Cailey Cuttita (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) hit a sac fly to center to bring in Meyers, and Szesnat's RBI single center made it 7-5 and brought the potential tying run to the plate. Weber escaped the jam by inducing a flyout to right to end the game.
Koch went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs and Badillo drove in three runs to lead Oneonta. Dionisio earned the win after allowing six hits and one walk with one strikeout in six-plus innings. She gave up three runs, but just one earned.
Cuttita and Reich each finished 2-for-3 with an RBI to pace Cortland.
Courtney Kane (Yaphank/Bellport) took the loss after giving up five runs in two innings.
Lindsey Richards (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse), the second Cortland reliever, retired all six batters she faced in the fifth and sixth innings, three by strikeout.
