POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Anthony Iacomini (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) went 2-for-5 with two RBI as Cortland, ranked fourth nationally in Div. III, defeated Vassar, 7-1, in the first game of a non-league doubleheader. The Red Dragons fell in the nightcap, 11-9, despite cutting a 10-0 deficit after three innings to 10-9 in the seven-inning contest.

Cortland is now 20-6 on the season and reached the 20-win mark for the 25th consecutive year. The Red Dragons are the highest-ranked team Vassar (8-6) has defeated in its program history.

Cortland will face Plattsburgh in a makeup league game Sunday at 2 p.m. at Siena College in the Albany area. Cortland's home doubleheader on Tuesday versus Oswego has been moved a day earlier and will be played in Cortland at 1 p.m.


Game 1: Cortland 7, Vassar 1 (Box Score)

Steve Komanecky (Auburn), the first of three Cortland relievers, earned the victory after allowing only one hit in three scoreless innings. He struck out four batters.

Matt Holling (Horseheads) started and gave up two hits and four walks in three and a third innings. He was pulled in the fourth inning of the nine-inning contest after allowing two baserunners with the Red Dragons holding on to a 3-1 lead. After Komanecky's performance, Tyler Brien (Ilion) and Pat Bronson (Waverly) combined to throw two and two thirds hitless and scoreless innings. Brien struck out two  and walked none in an inning and two thirds and Bronson walked one and fanned one in the ninth.

Vassar scored on a Nick Johnson RBI groundout in the first, but Cortland put up three runs in the third on Donny Castaldo's (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) RBI groundout and back-to-back RBI doubles by Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk) and Iacomini.

The Red Dragons scored once on an error in the sixth and twice on an error in the eighth, sandwiched around a Iacomini RBI single in the seventh.

Austin Clock (Niskayuna) went 1-for-2 off the bench and Mark DeMilio (Valhalla) finished 1-for-3 with a walk. Vassar's Joe Lovizio took the loss after giving up seven hits and five runs, four earned, in seven innings.


Game 2: Vassar 11, Cortland 9 (Box Score)

Cortland almost dug itself out of a 10-0 hole after three innings but its rally fell short. Vassar scored a run in the first and then put up nine runs in the bottom of the third. The Red Dragons answered quickly with eight runs in the top of the fourth and a run in the fifth, but the Brewers added an insurance run in the sixth and closed the door as Cortland had the tying run at the plate in the seventh.

Eight of Vassar's nine starters drove in at least one run. Brad Kendall went 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and three runs scored and Jason Garfinkel was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs. Kyle Casey went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Dave Robbins was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Vassar sent 15 batters to the plate in the third, which was highlighted by a Brett Zaziski RBI double, a Robbins RBI single and a Casey two-run single in addition to three bases-loaded walks.

Cortland's 12-batter fourth featured a Clock RBI single, a Nick Hart (Fredonia) two-run single and a Michael DeCarr (Syracuse/Westhill) two-run triple. Runs also scored on a wild pitch and an error.

The Red Dragons appeared poised to take the lead in the fifth. They loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, a Hart bunt single and a DeCarr sac bunt where everyone was safe. Vassar pitcher Trent Berg struck out the next batter before a wild pitch allowed a run to score. After a strikeout and a walk, Berg induced a flyout with the bases loaded to keep Vassar up by one at 10-9.

Berg retired the side in order, including two strikeouts, in the top of the sixth, and Vassar scored in the bottom of the inning on one-out singles by Garfinkel and Robbins, a steal of third by Garfinkel and a Denis Shanagher sac fly. Connor Cucalon earned the save in the seventh despite allowing a one-out infield single to DeCarr.

DeCarr finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, Hart was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Castaldo went 2-for-4 with a hit by pitch.

Berg earned the win in relief for Vassar and is 3-0 on the year. Cortland starter Steven Kimmelman (Riverhead) suffered the loss after getting knocked out in the third. Travis Laitar (Fergus, ON/Centre Wellington), the fourth of five relievers, went three innings and allowed three hits, a walk and a run with four strikeouts.