CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland softball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth and the Red Dragons defeated visiting Fredonia, 4-3, to complete a SUNYAC sweep of the Blue Devils. Cortland won the opener, 5-0, behind Karlee Weeden's (Maybrook/Valley Central) five-hit shutout. 
 
Cortland (21-11, 12-4 SUNYAC) reached the 20-win mark for the 26th straight complete season dating back to 1997. The Red Dragons are currently second in the league with 24 points. 
 
Cortland 5, Fredonia 0 
 
Weeden struck out three batters and didn't walk anyone as she upped her record to 9-6. Three of the five hits she allowed came in the top of the fourth, but after the first hit she induced a double play grounder, and Fredonia eventually stranded runners on first and third. 
 
Fredonia starter Emily Chelius allowed five hits, all in a three-run fourth inning. Cortland scored twice without a hit in the first on walks by Halle Wright (Ballston Spa) and McKenna Barry (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa), a Brooke Scheibe (Sayville) hit by pitch, a Shannon Scotto (Putnam Valley/Lakeland) bases-loaded walk and a Tori Reich (Cornwall) RBI fielder's choice. The fourth inning was highlighted by RBI singles from Elaina Ornstein (Yorktown Heights/Yorktown) and Wright. Chelius allowed five runs on five hits with three walks in three and a third innings. 
 
Wright went 1-for-2 with a walk and RBI for the Red Dragons. Avery Hill was 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter and Alexis Wulf finished 1-for-2 for Fredonia. 
 
Cortland 4, Fredonia 3 (8 inn.) 
 
Fredonia took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a Erin Cunningham two-out, two-run single. Cortland tied the game with unearned runs in the first and second innings. Barry doubled in the first, but Fredonia threw out a runner trying to score from first on the play. Barry, however, scored on a dropped pop-up during the next at-bat. Ornstein led off the second with a single, was safe at second on a throwing error during a fielder's choice, and she scored on another throwing error during an attempted double play by the Blue Devils. 
 
Each team threatened in the fifth with runners on second and third and no outs. Fredonia started the fifth with a two-base error on a bunt and an Amanda Eastman single and steal. Cortland starter Kimberly Westenberg (Massapequa Park/Massapequa), however, escaped the jam with a strikeout and two pop-ups. In the bottom of the fifth, Wright singled and Barry doubled off of Fredonia starter Vanessa Galbraith. Chelius entered in relief and got out of trouble with a short flyout, a strikeout and a flyout to center. Cortland also stranded runners on second and third after a groundout in the sixth. 
 
In the top of the eighth, Wulf beat out a grounder to short to start the inning, was bunted to second by Chelius and went to third on a wild pitch. Victoria Pauwels doubled to left center to drive in a run. Barry entered to pitch and got a pop-up and strikeout to keep Fredonia's lead at 3-2. 
 
Cortland's winning rally began when Reich drew a walk and went to third on a Westenberg single to left center. Julz Koch (New City/Clarkstown South) singled through the left side to drive in Reich with the tying run, and Ornstein's bunt single loaded the bases with no outs. Fredonia turned a grounder to second into a force at home for the first out and appeared to do the same again when Wright hit a grounder to short, but the throw home was low and pinch runner Emily Stavola (Somers) scored the winning run.

Westenberg received a no decision after allowing seven hits and three runs in seven and a third innings. She struck out five and didn't walk anyone. Barry earned the win after recording the last two outs in the top of the eighth and is now 8-2. Galbraith allowed two unearned runs on seven hits in four innings and had a no decision. Chelius suffered the loss as she was responsible for the first two runners who reached for Cortland in the bottom of the eighth before giving way to Mack Celauro, who faced the final four batters. 
 
Ornstein finished 2-for-3, Barry was 2-for-4 and Wright went 2-for-5, while Reich was 1-for-2 with two walks, as Cortland finished with 12 hits. Pauwels and Wulf each went 2-for-4 for Fredonia (5-27, 4-10 SUNYAC).