NEWPORT NEWS, VA. – Cortland rallied to score three runs in the top of the ninth and the nationally 10th-ranked Red Dragons defeated host Christopher Newport, 10-8, in a non-league contest.
Cortland (5-1) led 7-3 entering the bottom of the eighth before the Captains (5-6) scored five times to take the lead on a Jacob Houston RBI single, a Collin Wilber sacrifice fly and a Tommy Vitaletti 3-run homer.
In the ninth, pinch hitter
Anthony Iacomini (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) drew a one-out walk and pinch hitter
Bryan Marotta (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) was hit by a pitch. After a pop-up for the second out,
Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) singled through the left side to drive in the tying run. A wild pitch moved Panetta to second and pinch runner
Mark DeMilio (Valhalla) to third, and
Mitch Hollander (Woodbury/Syosset) singled to center to drive in two runs and give Cortland a 10-8 lead.
Senior
Steve Komanecky (Auburn) retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to record his first save as a Red Dragon.
Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk), who entered in relief during the eighth inning, received the win as he was the pitcher of record when Cortland took the lead.
Brandon McClain (Coram/Longwood) started for Cortland and allowed three hits, a walk and two runs in four and two-thirds innings. He struck out eight.
Mark Palumbo (Morristown, NJ) recorded the final out of the fifth and allowed one run over the next two innings, but he was charged with three runs in the eighth after allowing the first three batters to reach on two walks and a single.
Jacob Vaughan started for CNU and gave up seven hits, a walk and four runs in five and two-thirds innings. Jordan Boze, the Captains' second reliever, pitched the final three innings and suffered the loss.
Conrad Ziemendorf (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) went 2-for-4 with a homer, double and two walks as part of Cortland's 13-hit attack. He homered to lead off the game and doubled in the second.
Chris Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) hit a 3-run, pinch-hit homer in the sixth to put Cortland up 4-2.
CNU took a 2-1 lead in the second on a Houston 2-run homer, and his RBI single in the sixth cut Cortland's lead to 4-3. The Red Dragons put up three runs in the eighth to take a 7-3 lead.
Keith Andrews (Commack) led off with a double and scored on a one-out Panetta RBI single. Ziemendorf was intentionally walked with two outs and Bomasuto responded with a two-run triple to center.
Hollander, who entered mid-game as a pinch hitter, finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. Panetta and Bomasuto each went 2-for-5 with two RBI and
P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) was 2-for-4 with a walk.
Houston led CNU with a 3-for-4 effort with four RBI and two runs scored. Vitaletti was 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Cortland will play seven games on its spring break trip in Auburndale, Floriday, March 9-15, starting with a game Sunday, March 9, versus Webster University of Missouri. Webster has tied for fifth at the NCAA Div. III World Series each of the last two seasons.
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