CORTLAND, N.Y. - Cortland and New Paltz split a doubleheader in a matchup of the top two teams in the SUNYAC softball standings, with Cortland winning the opener, 9-1 in six innings, and the visiting Hawks capturing the second game, 3-1 in eight innings.
 
Cortland is now 15-8 overall and tied for second in the SUNYAC at 6-2. New Paltz entered the day unbeaten in league play and is now 16-8 overall and 7-1 in the conference.
 
Cortland 9, New Paltz 1 (6 inn.)
 
Cortland trailed 1-0 before scoring twice in the second, three times in the fifth and four times in the sixth to end the game via the eight-run rule. Gianna Endieveri (Glens Falls) improved to 7-3 with six innings of five-hit ball. SHe gave up one run and one walk and struck out six.
 
Cortland finished the game with 15 hits, led by Maggie Cummings (Holland Patent) who went 3-for-3 with a double, walk and three RBI. Kaeli McAnally (Islip) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, Shannon Scotto (Putnam Valley/Lakeland) finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and Morgan Ellerbrock (Colonie) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Kayla Pendergast (West Hempstead) and Laila Smith (Guilderland) each homered; Pendergast also drew two walks and drove in three runs.
 
Maddie Anderson was 2-for-3 with a double and Kelsey O'Brien went 1-for-3 with an RBI for New Paltz. Alex Frenza took the loss after allowing 14 hits and nine runs in five and two thirds innings.
 
New Paltz went up 1-0 in the top of the fourth when Anderson led off with a double and scored on an O'Brien single. Cortland scored twice in the bottom of the fourth on a one-out Cummings single and Pendergast's two-run homer to left.
 
Cortland's three-run fifth started with a Smith leadoff homer, and the other two runs came on a two-out rally as Ellerbrock and McAnally singled and Cummings hit a two-run double. The Red Dragons closed out the game in the bottom of the sixth on a Scotto RBI bunt single, back-to-back RBI walks by Cummings and Pendergast, and a walk-off RBI single by Lillian Morse (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake).
 
New Paltz 3, Cortland 1 (8 inn.)
 
Cortland grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a one-out Cummings double and a two-out Morse RBI single. The Hawks tied the game in the top of the third. Lauren Serraro singled with one out, Ava Thys hit a two-out single, and Anderson's single drove in Serraro from second.
 
Cummings led off the bottom of the seventh with a double for the Red Dragons, but New Paltz recorded an out between second and third on a ground ball to short for the first out. Cortland eventually stranded a runner on second base.
 
In the top of the eighth, Thys singled with one out and moved to second on an Anderson sac bunt. O'Brien lined a single to left center to drive in Thys with the go-ahead run and Ella Sharrock's single put runners on first and second. An error on the next play allowed the Hawks' third run of the game to score, and Cortland was retired in order in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Morgan Smith earned the win for New Paltz, allowing one run on seven hits in eight innings. She walked one and struck out two. Olivia DiSalvo took the loss for Cortland despite allowing only two runs on seven hits in seven and a third innings. She struck out five and walked one. DiSalvo allowed the Thys hit before being relieved and was responsible for that run.
 
Cummings went 2-for-3 with two doubles and finished the doubleheader a combined 5-for-6 with three doubles, a walk and three RBI. Morse went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Katie Stork (Massapequa) was 1-for-3 with a double. For New Paltz, Thys and Jenna Carmody each went 2-for-3, with Thys also drawing a walk, and O'Brien was 2-for-4 with an RBI.