LEESBURG, FLA. – Gina Meyers' (Liverpool) third hit of the game drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning and Lindsey Richards (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) tossed four and a third hitless innings of relief with seven strikeouts for the victory as Cortland defeated Rutgers-Camden, 5-4, to close out its Florida trip. Prior to that game, the Red Dragons won 8-0 in five innings versus Maine-Farmington.
 
Cortland evened its record at 5-5 with the wins. The Red Dragons will travel to nationally second-ranked Salisbury University in Maryland next weekend for two games each versus Salisbury and Ursinus College. Cortland faces Salisbury Saturday at 11 a.m. and Ursinus at 3 p.m., and on Sunday the Red Dragons play Ursinus at 11 a.m. and Salisbury at 1 p.m.
 
Cortland 8, Maine-Farmington 0 (5 inn.)
 
Karlee Weeden went the complete five innings in the circle for the win, allowing three hits and one walk and striking out six. All nine Cortland starters recorded at least one hit, led by Lizzy Byers (New Paltz) going 2-for-2 and Alyssa Finno (Hurley/Kingston) finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Cortland scored a run in the bottom of the first. Elaina Ornstein (Yorktown Heights/Yorktown) bunted for a single, stole second and went to third on a groundout. Halle Wright (Ballston Spa) reached on a fielder's choice, with the shortstop electing to look back Ornstein at third instead of throwing to first. On the play, Wright got into a rundown between first and second and was eventually tagged out, but Ornstein scored on the play.
 
The Red Dragons put up five runs in the second. The first five batters of the inning reached base. Finno singled, Tori Reich (Cornwall) walked and Byers singled to load the bases. Julz Koch (New City/Clarkstown South) singled to left to drive in a run, with a second run scoring on an error during the play. Hannah Fairbrother (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) followed with an RBI single, Ornstein drove in a run with a groundout to third, and two batters later Wright singled in a run.
 
In the fourth, Meyers singled and stole second, and with two outs McKenna Barry (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) hit an RBI double down the right field line. She then scored on a Finno RBI single through the right side to give Cortland an 8-0 lead. The game was called after Maine-Farmington failed to score in the fifth due to the eight-run rule.
 
Mackenzie Dyer was 2-for-2 and Olivia Paradia went 1-for-2 for the Beavers (1-2). Carleigh Schievink took the loss after allowing eight runs, seven earned, in four innings.
 
Cortland 5, Rutgers-Camden 4 (8 inn.)
 
In the most thrilling game of the week, Cortland picked up its third straight win over a "hyphenated" team with its victory over Rutgers-Camden (3-6).
 
Most of the scoring in first seven innings came in the second. Cortland grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the inning. Barry singled in a run, and with runners on first and third a foul pop-up to the catcher resulted in the second out. Barry, however, tagged after the catch and the throw to second was unable to get her, at which point Koch took off from third and scored. A wild throw home allowed Barry to go to third, and she scored two batters later on a Meyers single to left center.
 
The Raptors answered with four runs in the bottom of the second. Zoe Rodriguez led off with a single and, with one out, Olivia Bull walked and Cate Petrucelli bunted for a single to load the bases. Alexa McNee drew a walk to force in a run, Emily Dubiago hit a two-run single, and Kimmy Musarra followed with an RBI single to right.
 
Barry tied the game with a solo homer to lead off the top of the fourth. At that point, Lindsey Rodzon entered in relief for Rutgers-Camden and kept Cortland scoreless through the end of regulation, although she did have to escape bases-loaded situations in the sixth and seventh innings.
 
Rutgers-Camden threatened in the bottom of the fourth when Cate Petrucelli led off with a single and Musarra doubled with two outs to put runners on second and third. Richards entered to pitch for the Red Dragons and induced a groundout to keep the game tied, and she retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Raptors had their first two runners reach via errors. Richards, however, fanned the next two hitters and, after hitting a batter to load the bases, got a groundout to second to second the game to extra innings.
 
The tiebreaker rule was employed in the eighth with a runner starting on second base. Fairbrother began the top of the eighth on second and moved to third on an Ornstein sac bunt. Meyers then hit a single up the middle to drive in a run. The Red Dragons eventually left runners on first and second in the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Rutgers-Camden popped up a bunt to the catcher Koch for the first out. Richards struck out the next hitter and got a groundout back to herself for the final out.
 
Meyers finished 3-for-5 with two RBI, Barry went 2-for-2 with two walks, two RBI and two runs, and Wright and Byers were each 2-for-4 with a walk. Cortland starter Isabel Milazzo (Elmira/Elmira Notre Dame) went three and two thirds innings and gave up four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks before being relieved by Richards.
 
Musarra and Petrucelli each were 2-for-3 for the Raptors. Starter Natalie Ampole allowed four runs, three earned, in three innings. She gave up six hits, walked two and struck out one. Rodzon allowed just the unearned (by rule) run in the eighth for the loss. She permitted five hits, walked four and struck out one.