CORTLAND, N.Y. – Freshman Lyndsay Rowell (Sandy Creek) pitched a three-hit shutout and sophomore Katie Fusco (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem North) homered and drove in three runs as nationally ninth-ranked Cortland defeated Oswego, 7-0, in the second game of a SUNYAC doubleheader. The Red Dragons (20-2, 4-0 SUNYAC) also won the opener, 5-0, as junior Katie Finch (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) and junior Diana Perez (Blauvelt/Tappan Zee) combined on a four-hitter.
Rowell upped her record to 6-1 with the win in the second game as she struck out seven and walked two. She allowed an infield single to Brittany Carbacio in the fourth and back-to-back singles to Shannon Baker (Hannibal) and Christine Linguanti (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) to lead off the seventh. Rowell escaped that jam with a double play grounder to third and a groundout to second to preserve her second shutout of the season.
Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Junior Donnalyn Cross (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) singled up the middle and took second on the play. She moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single up the middle by senior Crystal Carlson (Lancaster/Iroquois).
The Red Dragons loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth on singles by junior Jackie Begnoche (Montgomery/Valley Central), junior Rose Morrison (Miller Place) and sophomore Cait Carner (Binghamton). Oswego pitcher Erika Ayers (Holley) escaped, however, without allowing a run. She got the next batter to hit a ball to third, leading to a force out at home. Cross then hit a ball to third baseman Linguanti, who alertly tagged the runner coming off third and then touched the base for a forceout to complete the double play and end the inning.
Cortland took command with a four-run fifth inning. The Red Dragons loaded the bases as Carlson singled and stole second, freshman Jessica Harman (Penfield) singled and junior Emily Ringen (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) walked. Fusco singled to center to drive in a run, followed by a Begnoche RBI fielder's choice and a Morrison RBI single. Jackie Bruno (Pearl River) singled to re-load the bases and Brooke Weidman (Perkinsville/Wayland-Cohocton) grounded out to second to drive in a run.
Cortland's final two runs came in the sixth when Ringen drew a two-out walk and Fusco hit her first collegiate homer over the fence just to the left of straightaway center. Fusco finished 2-for-4, Morrison and Carner were each 2-for-2 and Carlson went 2-for-3.
In the opener, Finch allowed four hits and no walks and struck out six over five innings as she improved to 11-1 on the season. Perez, making her first appearance of the spring, retired all six batters she faced over the final two innings. Begnoche went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Finch did not allow a baserunner until Carbacio singled to left with one out in the fourth. The Lakers' best rally came in the fifth as they loaded the bases on one-out singles by Elyse Youngman (Henrietta/Rush-Henrietta) and Linguanti and a two-out single by Ellen Dungey (Elbridge/Jordan-Elbridge). Finch got the next batter to fly out to left to end the threat.
Cortland grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning, with the entire rally occurring with two outs. Sammi Dieffenbach (Erin/Horseheads) reached on an infield single, Ringen walked and Harman doubled down the right field line to drive in Dieffenbach. Begnoche followed with a two-run single to right center.
Begnoche started a rally in the fourth with a one-out single and moved to second on a groundout. Freshman Lorraine Stoddard (Liverpool) then hit a ball up the middle that Oswego's second baseman was able to stop from going into the outfield. Begnoche never stopped running, however, and beat the throw home. The Red Dragons' final run came in the fifth when Cross led off with a triple down the right field line and scored on a Carlson double to right center.
Michelle Jackson (Amsterdam) took the loss for the Lakers in the opener. She allowed eight hits and one walk in six innings.
(Game story courtesy of SUNY Cortland sports information)
