Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 l Game 2 l Updated stats
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Host Nazareth fell to Cortland in a pair of non-conference softball games on Thursday afternoon. The Red Dragons held off the Golden Flyers in game one, 6-5, before blanking Nazareth, 9-0, in game two. Senior Sarah Cipperly, junior Sophia Rhoades, and sophomore Maureen Rogers each had a pair of hits and a run scored for the Golden Flyers in the opening game.

Following the losses, Nazareth falls to 8-16 overall. With the victories, Cortland improves to 23-13 overall. Including Thursday's wins, the Red Dragons have won 10 of their last 11 contests.

In game one, the Golden Flyers held a 3-2 edge before Cortland scored four runs between the third and fourth innings to reclaim the lead. Nazareth answered with a pair of runs in the fifth inning, but the Golden Flyers were unable to push the game-tying runner across the plate in the final innings. The key to the Red Dragons' fourth inning was a one-out, two-run RBI double by Jamie Bucci. Bucci scored the eventual game-winning run on Meaghan Kohler's single to left.

Sophomore Carly Pike began the fifth inning at second following fielding and throwing errors by Cortland's pitcher. Rhoades followed with an RBI double to score Pike, then scored moments later following a throwing error at second base as pitch-runner Emily Beckley stole second. The throw from catcher, Briana Barca, was cut off by the second baseman, Rosie Phillips, but Phillips' throw to shortstop Erin Wolstenholme, who was covering second, was off the mark, which allowed Rhoades to score. Beckley advanced to third on the play after Barca's throw to third was low after Rhoades beat the throw home. Beckley, however, was stranded as freshman Meghan Barry struck out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, the Golden Flyers had runners on base, too. After Rogers' one-out single in the sixth, she advanced to second on Cipperly's ground out. Similar to the fifth inning, Cortland pitcher Alexandrea Flint got out of the inning again by stiking out the Nazareth batter. Pike was Flint's sixth-inning victim. Rhoades opened the seventh with a single, but was erased by a six-four-three double play. The Red Dragons' Sarah Salamone earned the save by forcing freshman Nicole White to ground out to end the game.

Freshman Mary Greco took the loss for Nazareth, allowing six runs (three earned) and scattering seven hits in four innings. Greco is 2-2 on the season. Classmate Nicole White pitched the final three innings and held Cortland hitless but allowed three walks. Amber Corrigan earned the win to improve to 4-5 on the season. She allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in four innings. Flint pitched the sixth and seventh innings, allowing two unearned runs on three hits, before Salamone's one-hit seventh inning.

After giving up a pair of Red Dragon runs in the top of the first, the Golden Flyers responded with trio of runs in the bottom half. Sophomore Morgan Ross and Rogers took second and third, respectively, following a wild pitch and Cortland error. After Ross scored on another wild pitch, Cipperly followed with a single to left to score Rogers. Cipperly eventually scored on an outfield error on a ball hit by Rhoades.

In game two, Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first then scored four runs in both the third and fifth innings to pull away. Nazareth's offense was held to four hits, and the Golden Flyers baserunners were unable to advance past second base. Freshman Sarah Papponetti reached second in the first inning after drawing a walk then moving to second on a single by Cipperly. Salamone avoided damage by striking out Pike to end the threat. Sophomore Danae Wetherbee, Ross, and Cipperly each had hits in the second, third, and fourth, innings, respectively. Wetherbee and Ross were each left at first while Cipperly was stranded at second following a lead-off double.

Salamone took the win to improve to 11-2 overall on the season while Wetherbee fell to 3-6 overall with the loss. Salamone allowed all four of Nazareth hits in four innings pitched, and she recorded a pair of strikeouts. Jamie Lachall pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief. Wetherbee was tagged for eight hits and five runs allowed in three innings. Junior Nicole Bayona pitched the final two innings and allowed two hits and four unearned runs and had one strikeout.

The Golden Flyers are in action again on Friday when Nazareth travels to the University of Rochester for a non-conference doubleheader.