CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior
Zachary Badanes (Syosset) and three relievers combined on a three-hit shutout as Cortland clinched the SUNYAC regular-season title with a 9-0 victory over Oneonta.
The nationally seventh-ranked Red Dragons are 12-3 in SUNYAC play and 26-8 overall. Cortland can finish no worse than tied for first in the league, and would win the head-to-head tiebreaker versus either team that can tie the Red Dragons. Cortland will host the four-team, double-elimination SUNYAC tournament May 3-5. The Red Dragons have hosted the league tournament every year since 1997.
Badanes, now 3-0 on the season, allowed three hits and no walks and struck out five in six and two-thirds innings.
Ryan McAlary (Shoreham/Shoreham-Wading River) recorded the final out of the seventh,
George Jweid (Utica/New Hartford) retired the side in order in the eighth and
Travis Laitar (Fergus, ON/Centre Wellington) issued a leadoff walk in the ninth before a flyout and double-play grounder ended the game.
Cortland finished the game with 17 hits, led by
Donny Castaldo's (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) 3-for-5 effort. He doubled, scored two runs and drove in one.
Michael DeCarr (Syracuse/Westhill) finished 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBI and two stolen bases.
James Quinn (Guilderland) went 2-for-2 with an RBI as Cortland's starting second baseman.
Bryan Mistretta (Commack) took over at that spot in the sixth and finished 2-for-2 with a double.
Zack Graczyk (Carmel) went 2-for-4 with a double. Matt Salvatore finished 2-for-3 for Oneonta (10-21, 5-9 SUNYAC). Mike McFerran allowed nine hits and four runs in three-plus innings for the loss.
Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the third on a
John Adornetto (Commack) RBI single. The Red Dragons opened the fourth with five straight hits to knock out McFerran on the way to a three-run inning.
P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) led off with an infield single and scored on a Castaldo RBI double. DeCarr followed with an RBI single,
Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) singled and Quinn reached on an infield single to score DeCarr.
The Red Dragons added two in the fifth on a DeCarr two-run single and three in the sixth on RBI singles by
Brian Barry (Nesconset/Smithtown East) and
Austin Clock (Niskayuna) and a Rinaldi RBI groundout.
Cortland will host Mt. St. Mary College of Newburgh, N.Y., on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Box Score
