2011 NCAA DIVISION III SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Cortland (NY) Regional – Saturday, May 14, 2011
Game eight: #1 SUNY Cortland 3, #2 Moravian College (PA) 1
Box Score
Recap by Mark Coley
CORTLAND, NY – Top seed and host SUNY Cortland broke a 1-1 deadlock with two runs in the sixth inning, with the eventual game winner coming on a fielding error, en route to a 3-1 victory over second-seeded Moravian College (PA) in a battle of unbeaten teams in the final game of the day at the 2011 NCAA Division III Softball Regionals at Dragon Field.
With the win, the Red Dragons (39-3-1) advance to Sunday’s 12:30 pm championship final, needing only one win to move on to the NCAA Division III Softball World Series on May 20-24 at the James I. Moyer Softball Complex in Salem, VA. The Greyhounds (37-8) will take on fourth-seeded Piedmont College (GA) in the 10:00 elimination game, with the winner needing to defeat Cortland twice to earn the berth to Salem.
Both teams scored runs in the opening three innings, with Cortland senior second baseman Donallyn Cross (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) scoring on an infield scoring error in the first inning and senior right fielder Amanda Paulus (Easton, PA) of Moravian driving in junior starting pitcher Jenna Carmon (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) from third base on a ground out to second base in the third inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, junior shortstop Jessica Harman (Penfield) reached base on a Moravian infield fielding error and junior pinch hitter Rachel Barry (Seaford/General Douglas MacArthur) reached on a fielder’s choice (Harman out at second) before junior designated player Lorraine Stoddard (Liverpool) singled to left field, followed by an outfield error to score freshman pinch runner Charlotte Fried (Great Neck/Great Neck South) from first base. Stoddard reached second base, but was called out on an umpire’s appeal from Moravian.
Sophomore leftfielder Cassie Kardias (Shrub Oak/Lakeland) doubled down the left field line and scored when freshman right fielder Meaghan Kohler (Franklin, NJ/Warren Hills Regional) followed with a double down the left field line. Cross, Stoddard, and Kardias were the lone players with multiple hits for either team, each going 2-for-3.
Junior pitcher Lindsay Rowell posted her second complete game triumph of the day and third victory of the tournament, giving up six hits, three walks, and an unearned run while striking out three. Carmon picked up the hard-luck loss for Moravian, allowing nine hits and three runs (one unearned).
