Cortland Standard .net

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. – The SUNY Cortland baseball team opened its SUNYAC schedule with a doubleheader sweep of New Paltz, 16-2 and 6-1, at the North Charlotte Regional Park.
The Red Dragons (13-1, 2-0 SUNYAC) were playing conference games in Florida for what is believed to be the first time in school history. The teams will complete their three-game set with a single game Saturday morning. Cortland is ranked third nationally by D3baseball.com and second by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Red Dragon junior second baseman Connor Griffin, a Cortland High graduate, finished the doubleheader a combined 5-for-6 effort at the plate with four RBIs and three runs scored and also reached base two other times via a hit-by-pitch and walk. Junior Brandon Serio earned the win in the opener and senior Brandon McClain won the nightcap and are both 2-0 on the season.
In softball, Cortland closes out spring trip with a 3-2, 8 inning victory over Springfield and a 10-2 six inning triumph over St. Norbert.
BASEBALL
Cortland 16, New Paltz 2: Cortland scored eight runs in the top of the first off New Paltz starter Brian LoRusso, all after the first two batters of the game were retired, and never looked back in the nine-inning opener. Big plays in the inning included an Austin Clock RBI single, Griffin was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, Matthew Michalski ripped a two-run single, plus RBI singles by Justin Teague, Donny Castaldo and FabioRicci.
Five Red Dragons finished with multiple hits. Griffin was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a hit-by-pitch. Ricci went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, Vinny Bomasuto was 2-for-3 with a double, walk and three runs scored, while Anthony Simon and Teague each finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Patrick Schetter came off the bench to go 1-for-2 with a triple, hit-by-pitch and two runs.
Serio threw six and a third innings for the victory. He allowed one unearned run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts.
Cortland 6, New Paltz 1: McClain tossed six innings in the seven-inning second game for the win. He allowed only two hits and one walk and fanned six. Tyler Brien (Ilion) retired the side in order with a strikeout in the seventh. Cortland retired 15 straight Hawks to end the game — 12 by McClain after allowing an Anthony Pantano leadoff single in the third — in addition to Brien’s three outs.
The Red Dragons broke the 1-1 tie in the fourth. Michalski led off with a triple and Griffin chopped a single to third to drive in the run. Griffin took second on a wild pitch and scored later in the inning on a throwing error as the Hawks tried to complete an inning-ending double play.
Cortland picked up two more runs in the sixth. Griffin hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Castaldo sac fly. Ricci then tripled to right center and scored on a error on a ball hit by Bomasuto. Schetter doubled in Cortland’s final run in the seventh.
Griffin was 3-for-3 with a double, walk, RBI and two runs. Schetter went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI as the starting designated hitter and Castaldo had a double, two walks and a sac fly in four plate appearances.
SOFTBALL
Cortland 3, Springfield 2, 8 innings: Carrie Stoddard tied the game with a two-run single in the sixth and Devynn Wilder tripled in what proved to be the winning run in the top of the eighth as Cortland edged Springfield at the Rebel Spring Games.
With the game tied after seven inning, the NCAA tiebreaker rule was put into effect starting in the top of the eighth. Cortland started with a runner on second base, but on a grounder to second Springfield was able to throw out the runner trying to go back to the base. Wilder, however, tripled to right field to plate the go-ahead run.
Springfield was able to escape further damage, and the Pride started the bottom of the eighth with a runner on second. The runner tried to advance to third on a pitch in the dirt, but Wilder threw her out for the first out. Springfield got a single with two outs before a groundout ended the game.
Jamie Lachall entered in relief in the sixth and allowed only one hit and one walk with one strikeout in three scoreless frames for the win.
Diane Corkled the Red Dragons by going 2-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice. Rosie Phillips was 2-for-3 with Jamie Bucci finishing 2-for-4.
Cortland 10, St, Norbert 2: Cortland was nursing a 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the sixth before exploding for seven runs to end the game on the eight-run rule.
Alexandrea Flint started for Cortland and allowed three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in three innings. Kirstyn Alonzo gave up two runs on two hits in two and two thirds innings. She walked one and fanned two. Lachall entered in the sixth with Cortland up 3-2 and escaped further trouble. Since Flint did not pitch the four innings required for the win, Lachall was deemed the most effective reliever and earned her second win of the day.
Phillips finished 2-for-2 with a walk and RBI to lead Cortland. Andrea Schoonmaker and Bucci each went 2-for-3, with Schoonmaker driving in a run. Erin Wolstenholme was 2-for-4.
Cortland went 6-4 in Florida, including wins in five of its last six games. The Red Dragons are scheduled to return to action on Tuesday at Nazareth in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
MEN’S LACROSSE
Due to inclement weather, the SUNY Cortland men’s lacrosse games at the Stevenson University Greene Turtle Classic were moved back a day. The Red Dragons were scheduled to face Lynchburg College on Friday at 5:30 p.m., and the host Mustangs today at 8:30 p.m. Cortland was now to play Lynchburg today at 4:30 p.m. and will meet Stevenson Sunday at 5:45 p.m.