Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CORTLAND, N.Y. – Battling the threat of inclement weather throughout, the State University of New York at New Paltz softball team dropped both ends of a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader against SUNY Cortland on Wednesday afternoon at Dragon Field. Cortland won game one, 3-2, before taking game two, 5-1.

New Paltz drops to 16-13 overall (8-6 SUNYAC) with the losses and hosts SUNY Geneseo next on Friday, April 24, for a 3 p.m. SUNYAC doubleheader. Cortland rises to 26-10 overall (12-2 SUNYAC) with the wins and visits SUNY Potsdam next on Friday, April 24, at 3 p.m.

Cortland 3, New Paltz 2

Both teams worked quickly to get ahead of the incoming inclement weather in game one, but Cortland received a go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth that ended up being the difference.

Freshman left fielder Danielle Bruno (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East) opened scoring with a solo home run in the top of the third, but junior left fielder Diane Cork responded in the home half of the inning, launching a solo shot of her own over the left-center field wall. After a Red Dragon run came across on a throwing error in the bottom of the fifth, senior catcher Shayna Burgess (Smithtown, N.Y./Commack) touched home in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of a throw to catch a runner stealing to score.

That set the stage for Cortland's eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth, as sophomore first baseman Makayla Shade hit a solo homer off the first pitch she saw.

Junior right fielder Fallon Spriggs (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) and Bruno each went 2-for-2 for the Hawks, while junior center fielder Jamie Bucci batted 2-for-3 for the Red Dragons.

Junior pitcher Katie Rutcofsky (Plainview, N.Y./Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy) was tagged with the loss in the circle for New Paltz, yielding three runs (two earned) off six hits and one hit by pitch while striking out two. Cortland's sophomore pitcher Jamie Lachall earned the win, permitting two runs off six hits and two hit by pitches while striking out three.

Cortland 5, New Paltz 1

Cortland received slightly more offense in the nightcap, scattering nine hits and scoring five runs in the win.

Cork hit her second home run of the day in the bottom of the third to give Cortland a 1-0 lead, while freshman pinch hitter/second baseman Andrea Schoonmaker drove in a run in the fourth with an RBI double.

A two-run home run by sophomore right fielder Niki Barbato in the fifth staked the Red Dragons to a 4-0 lead before Burgess cut into the deficit with an RBI single in the sixth that brought in junior second baseman Jordan Fiore (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai). Cortland received one more RBI base knock from Schoonmaker in the sixth to spell out the final score of 5-1.

Four different Hawks registered a hit in the loss, while Barbato's 3-for-3 performance at the plate led Cortland. Of note, Barbato was just a triple away from hitting for the cycle.

New Paltz's pitchers combined to yield five runs off nine hits and two walks in the setback, while senior pitcher Sarah Salamone earned the win in four scoreless innings of work for Cortland, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out one.