WINCHESTER, VA. – Nolan Overby hit a grand slam to cap an eight-run fifth inning and Shenandoah Univeristy held on to defeat Cortland, 13-10, in a non-league baseball game at Shenandoah's Bridgeforth Field.
The Hornets improved to 12-2 with the victory. Cortland, ranked eighth nationally in Div. III, went 5-3 on its spring break trip, including a 5-2 mark in Florida, and is now 10-4 overall.
The teams combined for 27 hits – 16 for Cortland, 11 for Shenandoah – and each squad drew six walks. Overby finished 2-for-4 with five RBI and two runs scored and Michael Paul was 3-for-3 with a homer, double, two walks, four RBI and three runs.
Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk) and
Anthony Iacomini (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) each went 3-for-5 for Cortland. Bomasuto doubled twice and drove in a run and Iacomini drove in two runs.
Mark DeMilio (Valhalla) was 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and two runs,
Donny Castaldo (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) was 2-for-4 with a double, walk, RBI and run and
Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) went 2-for-4.
Cortland led 2-1 after four innings on an RBI groundout by
Conrad Ziemendorf (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) in the first and a Iacomini RBI single in the third. Shenandoah sent 11 batters to the plate in its eight-run fifth to take a 9-2 lead.
An error allowed the first run to score and, following an intentional walk, a bases-loaded groundout to the pitcher by Cameron Lundmark gave the Hornets a 3-2 lead. Paul followed with a two-run double. The next two batters walked to load the bases and Overby hit a grand slam to left.
Cortland responded with four in the sixth on a
Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) RBI double, a DeMilio sacrifice fly, a wild pitch that scored Panetta, and a Iacomini RBI single. The Hornets picked up a run in the bottom of the frame on an error and held a 10-6 lead.
The Red Dragons cut the score to 10-7 in the top of the eighth on a Bomasuto RBI single, but the Hornets posted three runs in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch and a Paul two-out, two –run homer.
Cortland made a final push in the ninth.
Michael DeCarr (Syracuse/Westhill) singled, stole second and scored on a Castaldo double.
P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) followed with an RBI double and
Mitch Hollander (Woodbury/Syosset) was hit by a pitch. With one out, DeMilio singled through the left side, but on the relay throw into the infield Hollander was caught too far off second base and was thrown out for the second out. Rinaldi scored on the play, after the throw, to cut the deficit to 13-10, but a strikeout ended the game.
Phillip Morse started for Shenandoah and won despite allowing eight hits and six runs, five earned, in five and a third innings. He struck out five and walked five.
Brandon Serio (Bedford Hills/Fox Lane) started for Cortland and took the loss. He gave up six runs, but only one earned, in four and two-thirds innings. He struck out four, walked three and allowed five hits.
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