CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior Andersen Gardner (Fairport) hit a two-out, ground-rule double and scored on an RBI single by senior Steve Nickel (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem North) in the bottom of the 10th inning as Cortland clinched the SUNYAC regular season title with a 9-8 victory over visiting Plattsburgh. The nationally 11th-ranked Red Dragons (27-7, 11-1 SUNYAC) completed the sweep versus the Cardinals with a 10-4 victory in the nightcap.

Cortland earned the right to host the four-team SUNYAC postseason tournament May 7-9. The Red Dragons have hosted the tournament every year since 1997.

Cortland rallied from deficits three times in the opener and never led until scoring the winning run. Plattsburgh led 4-1 after an inning and a half, but the Red Dragons scored twice in the second and once in the third. The Cardinals plated three runs in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead, but Cortland put up two runs in the sixth and tied the game in the seventh.

Plattsburgh took its final lead at 8-7 in the top of the eighth. With pinch-runner Josh Colligan (Hamburg/Frontier) at second and Matt Burns (Ellenville) at first and one out, the Cardinals successfully executed a double steal, and a wild throw into the outfield allowed Colligan to score.

Cortland tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. Junior Jason Simone (Utica/Thomas R. Proctor), who finished 4-for-5, led off with a single and moved to third on a one-out Kevin Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) single through the right side. John Zilnicki (Riverhead) then hit a ball that first baseman Andrew Baio (Staten Island/St. Joseph by the Sea) made a diving stop on. Baio was unable to throw home, however, but instead was able to get a force at second on a throw from his knees while Simone scored the tying run.

Zilnicki finished with three RBI and Jackson was 2-for-3 with two walks. Damon Arnold (Wellsville), Matt June (Colonie) and Khyle Dimino (Brighton) were each 2-fo-5 with an RBI and Adam Dimino (Honeoye Falls/Honeoye Falls-Lima) hit a solo homer in the first.

Pat Shaughnessy (Plattsburgh) went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI and Donny Coolidge (Plattsburgh) was 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI for Plattsburgh (26-8, 5-5). Baio and Anthony Presto (Middletown/Pine Bush) were each 2-for-5.

Senior Brandon DeRosa (Fairport), Cortland's fifth pitcher, earned the win. He allowed only one baserunner – a hit batter – and struck out two over the final two and two-third innings. Corey Johnston (Rochester/Greece Athena) lost for Plattsburgh after allowing two runs and six hits in three and a third innings out of the bullpen.

In the second game, Cortland junior Travis Ratliff (Levittown/Division Avenue) improved his record to 6-0 with seven innings of four-hit ball. He struck out five, walked four and allowed two runs, one earned. Gardner was 2-for-2 with a homer, double, two RBI and three runs scored and junior Kris Gentzke (Clarence Center/Clarence) finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs. June, Nickel and Simone added two hits apiece.

Tory Bouyea (Plattsburgh) went 2-for-3 with a double, Shaughnessy was 2-for-5 and Coolidge drove in two runs for Plattsburgh. Justin Besaw (Cadyville/Saranac) was the losing pitcher.

Cortland scored single runs in each of the first three innings and led 3-1 entering the fifth. The Red Dragons broke the game open with three runs in the fifth, in an inning that included three Plattsburgh errors, and four in the sixth, including a Simone two-run triple and RBI singles by Gentzke and Justin Fredenburg (Saugerties).

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score