Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – A superb offensive showing by No. 11 SUNY Cortland (32-6, 15-1 SUNYAC) propelled the Red Dragons past the State University of New York at New Paltz softball team (13-25, 5-11 SUNYAC) in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader sweep on Friday afternoon at Mary Gray Deane Field. Cortland won game one, 14-2, in five innings before prevailing, 13-5, in six innings the nightcap.

With the pair of losses, New Paltz is eliminated from SUNYAC Tournament contention. The Hawks sit two games back of the current No. 6 team, The College at Brockport, with two games to go, and the Golden Eagles hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. Cortland has clinched the No. 1 seed and will host the tournament from Thursday, May 3, through Sunday, May 6.

In game one, the Hawks contested the Red Dragons early, but Cortland plated eight runs in the third to blow the game open and take a commanding 11-2 lead.

An error in the first eventually led to the contest's first run, as Lucia Meola came home off an Abby Martin sacrifice fly in the first to open scoring. Jessica Harman scored on a wild pitch before Meola ripped an RBI single to second base in the second, and the Red Dragons took a 3-0 lead into the home half of the second.

The Hawk bats came alive in the second inning, as senior catcher Jenna Curcio (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) pushed across freshman third baseman/pitcher Meg Brewer (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) with an RBI single to left center, and junior right fielder Andrea Feeney (Ulster Park, N.Y./Kingston) wound up bringing Curcio in to draw New Paltz within one. Cortland seized the momentum in the third, though, as four runs came across before Martin lifted a grand-slam home run over the left field wall.

After the Hawks held Cortland scoreless in the fourth, the Red Dragons plated three more in the fifth off RBI from Meaghan Kohler, Cassie Kardias and Alicia Hibbard. New Paltz received a hit from junior shortstop Melissa Liotta (Brentwood, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) in the fifth, but the Hawks were unable to generate any more offense, forcing the eight-run rule.

Junior pitcher Amber Carozza (Milton, N.Y./Marlboro) drew the start and took the loss, going 2 1/3 innings and allowing six runs—five of which were earned—off seven hits, three wild pitches and a walk while striking out one. Junior pitcher Alyssa Oliva (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) and freshman pitcher Erika Traina (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) tossed the final 2 2/3 frames in relief and combined to yield eight runs off seven hits, three walks, two hit-by-pitches and a wild pitch.

Lyndsay Rowell did not earn a decision for Cortland despite getting the start, as she scattered four hits and permitted two runs in 1 2/3 frames of duty before giving way to Morgan Kuhn. Kuhn earned the win after hurling 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, during which she struck out five.

Liotta paced the Hawk offense with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate, while Lorraine Stoddard (3-for-4, two runs scored, RBI), Martin (3-for-3, five RBI, three runs scored, double, home run), Harman (3-for-4, two runs scored, double, RBI) and Kohler (2-for-3, two runs scored, RBI) led the Red Dragon attack in game one.

The Red Dragons pounded out 17 hits in game two, scoring runs in each inning to ensure the victory.

Cortland put seven runs on the board across the first three innings before New Paltz responded in the home half of the third. The Hawks received RBI groundouts from freshman center fielder Shayna Burgess (Smithtown, N.Y./Commack) and Feeney before Brewer plated two runs with a double over the center fielder's head. After Brewer's two-run double, New Paltz had cut the deficit to three.

The Red Dragons pushed across three in the fourth, but the Hawks got one back in the bottom of the inning with another Burgess RBI. Harman and Sammy Cirillo pushed the Red Dragon lead to seven with a pair of RBI in the fifth, while Kardias brought in the eight-run-rule clinching run in the sixth. New Paltz was unable to score in the bottom of the sixth, and the Red Dragons completed the sweep.

Brewer took the loss, yielding nine runs—six of which were earned—off 10 hits over three innings of work. Carozza finished out the game in the circle for the Hawks and permitted four runs off seven hits and two walks with a strikeout. Martin drew the start in the circle for Cortland but did not qualify for the decision, giving up four runs—one of which was earned—off two hits and three walks while striking out four over three innings of action. Rowell earned the win coming out of the bullpen, lasting two innings and allowing one run off three hits and a walk. Kuhn once again finished out the game for the Red Dragons and allowed just one walk in one inning of duty.

Five different Hawks accounted for the team's five hits, while Meola (4-for-5, three runs scored, two RBI, double), Martin (2-for-5, run scored), Kohler (2-for-4, run scored, double), Kardias (2-for-4, three runs scored, RBI), Harman (2-for-4, two RBI, run scored) and Nicole Gallo (2-for-4, run scored, RBI, double) keyed the Cortland offense.

New Paltz celebrates its six seniors tomorrow afternoon as a part of Senior Day, as the Hawks face SUNY Oswego at noon at Mary Gray Deane Field in their final doubleheader of the 2012 season.