Cortland Standard .net

ITHACA — A pair of gritty one-run victories capped by an extra-inning thriller kept the SUNY Cortland baseball team unbeaten in conference play.
After starting pitcher Brandon Serio went the distance in a 5-4 victory to open Friday afternoon’s doubleheader against Brockport at Cornell University’s Hoy Field, the nationally second-ranked Red Dragons delivered even better drama in the nightcap.
Vinny Bomasuto tripled one-out into the bottom of the 12th inning before scoring on Austin Clock’s walk-off single as Cortland completed the SUNY Athletic Conference sweep with a 3-2 extra-inning survival test.
Coach Joe Brown’s club is now off to a 5-0 start in the SUNYAC, with a glittery 18-1 overall record. The Red Dragons will finish off this three-game series against Brockport on Sunday back at Cornell, game time either 2 or 2:30 p.m.
The Golden Eagles are 10-8 overall after being swept, with a 3-5 conference mark.
Cortland senior Donny Castaldo finished the doubleheader going 5-for-8 at the plate, sophomore Matthew Michalski went a combined 4-for-7 with a triple while driving in two runs and Cortland High grad Connor Griffin went 2-for-4 in each game to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and keep his batting average at .500 for the season (18-for-36).
Cortland 5, Brockport 4: Senior Adam Smith’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth snapped a 4-4 tie and led Cortland to the win. He had two sac flies on the game, each one giving Cortland the lead.
Hurler Serio (3-0) gave up eight hits in the nine-inning affair. Only one of the four runs scored by Brockport was earned, the junior with six strikeouts while walking only one Golden Eagle.
Brockport scored twice off Serio in the first on a Josh Martin RBI single up the middle and a Cortland throwing error.
The Red Dragons responded with three runs in the bottom of the first. Junior Conrad Ziemendorf doubled in a run, while Clock (2x4) and Michalski (3x4) added RBI singles.
After trading sixth inning runs, Cortland started the winning rally in the eighth with a Clock single. Pinch runner Paul Dondero went to third on Michalski’s one-out single and scored on Smith’s sac fly to left.
Cortland 3, Brockport 2, 12 innings: Cortland trailed 2-1 was down to its final out with no one on in the bottom of the eighth in the seven-inning nightcap. Ziemendorf tripled to left center to keep the inning alive and Michalski walked. Michalski moved to second on a wild pitch, and another wild pitch allowed Ziemendorf to score the tying run.
The game stayed tied at 2-2 into the bottom of the 12th, when Bomasuto lined a one-out triple to right center. Brockport moved its center fielder in as a fifth infielder, but Clock ended the game with a liner that just eluded a diving right fielder.
Senior Anthony Simon went 3-for-5 and Ziemendorf 2-for-5 in a 14-hit Cortland offense.
Senior Brandon McClain started the game on the mound for the Red Dragons. He pitched six and two thirds innings with six hits, an earned run, three walks and five strikeouts.
Junior Travis Laitar came on in relief, pitching four and a third innings and giving up two hits, an earned run, a walk and a strikeout. Third Cortland pitcher Tyler Brien earned the win. The junior out of Ilion pitched the 12th inning, allowing no hits while walking one and striking out one.