NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Second-seeded Cortland overcame an early deficit to take a three-run leading heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, and wiggled out of trouble in the final half inning to earn a 4-3 victory over top-seeded New Paltz on the second day of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) softball tournament on Friday.
Cortland (24-15) moves on to the championship round of the conference tournament tomorrow beginning at noon. New Paltz (31-9) heads into the elimination bracket, with a matchup against either Buffalo State or Oneonta later in the day. In the championship round, Cortland will need just one more victory to claim its second straight SUNYAC title, while the team advancing from the elimination bracket will need to beat the Cortland twice in a row to win the conference title.
Maggie Cummings (Holland Patent) finished 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored, while
Kaeli McAnally (Islip) had two hits and two runs and Sam Pusloski (Clarence) added two hits for Cortland.
Cortland starter
Gianna Endieveri (Glens Falls) allowed one run in 2.2 innings, while
Olivia DiSalvo (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) earned the win with a scoreless inning and
Molly Farley (Goshen/Chester Academy) closed the game out for her first save of the year.
Maddie Anderson was 1-for-2 with a walk, run scored, and an RBI for New Paltz, while Kaitlyn Gordon doubled, walked, and scored a run. Alex Frenza allowed four runs, three earned, over 5.1 innings and took the loss for the Hawks.
New Paltz took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Gordon led off with a double and advanced to third on an Ava Thys flyout. Anderson followed with a sacrifice fly to right to drive in the run. Following a walk, DiSalvo entered in relief and got a flyout to end the inning.
Cortland grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth.
Laila Smith (Guilderland) singled to start the inning, and one out later McAnally bunted for a single, and a throwing error in an attempt to retire McAnally allowed Smith to score and McAnally to move to second.
Morgan Ellerbrock (Colonie) walked, and Cummings lined a single to left to drive in the go-ahead run.
The Hawks threatened in the fourth, loading the bases on a two-out error and walks by Lauren Serrao and Gordon.
Kaitlyn Macumber (Deposit) came in from the bullpen and got the next batter to ground out to keep the Red Dragons ahead. New Paltz put a runner on second in the fifth when Anderson walked and advanced on a passed ball, but she was doubled off second on a lineout to first base.
Cortland extended its lead to 4-1 in the sixth. McAnally singled up the middle and Ellerbrock walked, and Cummings lined a double down the left field line to score McAnally. Ellerbrock was thrown out at home trying to score on the hit, but with two outs
Kayla Santo (Franklin Square/Valley Stream North) reached on an error that sent Cummings home.
In the bottom of the seventh, New Paltz loaded the bases on an error, a single, and a walk with no outs and the potential winning run at the plate. Farley came on to pitch and induced a pop up for an out on her first pitch. After an RBI single by Mallory Rohon made it 4-2, Farley recorded the second out of the inning on a fly out to left. Jenna Carmody walked for New Paltz to drive in another run and make it 4-3, but Farley secured the victory by getting the next batter to pop up to McAnally at shortstop.
