Ithaca, NY... A pair of big innings spoiled the opening game for The College of New Jersey softball team in the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament as SUNY Cortland posted an 11-4 win over the Lions on Thursday in the Ithaca, NY Regional.
 
The Red Dragons (29-14) scored four times in the third and five more in the fourth to erase a two-run deficit and extend their winning streak to 11 straight.
 
The fourth-seeded Lions (26-14) will face top-seeded St. John Fisher College (32-13) on Friday, May 10 at 10 a.m. in an elimination game. The Cardinals were upset by eighth-seeded Western Connecticut State University 5-3 in the regional's initial contest.
 
Cortland and TCNJ traded runs early with the Red Dragons grabbing the lead in the bottom of the first when senior Cassie Kardias (Shrub Oak, NY/Lakeland) singled up the middle to drive in a run.
 
The Lions got the run right back in their ensuing at bat when senior Ashley Sogluizzo (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) drove in freshman Jamie Purcell (Nutley, NJ/ Mount St. Dominic Academy) with a fielder's choice.
 
TCNJ broke through again in the third, this time scoring a pair of runs to forge a 3-1 lead. Junior Lindsey Williams (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) doubled into the gap in left center, driving in both junior Nicole Brodbeck (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) and senior Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood).
 
The Red Dragons regained the lead in the bottom of the inning scoring four times, with sophomore Courtney Kadish (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville North) providing the big hit on a two-run double down the line in left.
 
Senior Erin Wolstenholme (Ilion, NJ/Ilion) provided Cortland with another big inning in the fourth as they added four more runs. Wolstenholme accounted for four of those with a grand slam as the Red Dragons extended its lead to 10-3.
 
The Lions did get one of those runs back in the fifth on a run-scoring double by Kristen Lake (Whitehouse Station, NY/Hunterdon Central). That hit plated sophomore Corrine Minicozzi (Hawthorne, NJ/Hawthorne), who pinch ran for Purcell.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Diane Cork (Wayland, NY/Wayland-Cohocton) led off with a solo home run for the Red Dragons pushing the difference back to seven runs at 11-4.
 
Purcell reached base three times for the Lions with a pair of base hits and a walk.
 
Freshman pitcher Ashtin Helmer (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) took the loss on the mound for the Lions, while classmate Katie Hourihan (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) made her NCAA Tournament debut throwing two scoreless innings in relief.