GRAND CHUTE, WIS. – Nick Kuhlmann's bases-loaded, two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth highlighted a three-run inning as nationally third-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater defeated fifth-ranked Cortland, 9-6, in a winner's bracket game at the NCAA Div. III World Series.

Cortland (36-9) will face Emory University (Ga.) in an elimination game Sunday at 3:30 p.m. (CDT). Whitewater (42-7) will play St. Thomas in the winner's bracket contest Sunday at 7 p.m.

Colin Grove entered in relief for Whitewater in the top of the seventh and the game tied at 6-6 and earned the victory. He allowed two hits and no runs and struck out four.

Brandon McClain (Coram/Longwood) started for Cortland and dropped to 10-2 with the loss. He gave up 11 hits and three walks, struck out eight and was charged with all nine runs, eight earned, in seven and two thirds innings.

Casey Power finished 3-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and three runs for Whitewater. Jared Fon was 2-for-3 and Michael Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with two runs.

For Cortland, Chris Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) went 3-for-3 with a triple and two RBI before leaving with an injury. Mark DeMilio (Valhalla) was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored and Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) finished 2-for-4 with a double.

The game featured six lead changes. Cortland scored in the first when DeMilio led off the game with a double and eventually scored on an Anthony Iacomini (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) sacrifice fly. In the second, Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk) reached on a one-out error, went to third on a Jackson single and scored on Michael DeCarr's (Syracuse/Westhill) groundout.

In the bottom of the second, Gonzalez singled, Fon was hit by a pitch and Power hit a three-run homer to left. Cortland, however, regained the lead in the fourth on singles by P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) and Rosing, a sac bunt and a Jackson two-run triple.

Whitewater was quick to respond with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 5-4. Gonzalez led off with a single, Power singled with one out and Mike Mierow hit a two-out, two-run single. The Red Dragons knotted the game in the fifth as DeMilio hit a leadoff double, was bunted to third by Conrad Ziemendorf (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) and scored on a Iacomini groundout. Cortland had runners on second and third later in the inning but couldn't score.

Cortland took its final lead at 6-5 in the sixth. Jackson bunted for a single and pinch runner Donny Castaldo (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) went to third on an error during a DeCarr sac bunt. Tim Panetta's (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) squeeze bunt drove in Castaldo.

Two McClain errors on pickoff throws help Whitewater tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Mikole Pierce singled and Fon singled to short with one out. McClain's pickoff attempt to second was wild, allowing Pierce to take third. With two outs, McClain tried picking off Pierce at third, but that throw also went astray and Pierce scored.

Whitewater loaded the bases in the seventh. Adam Gregory singled with one out, and an error on a bunt while attempting to get a force at second put runners on first and second. Dylan Friend walked to load the sacks, but McClain beared down and struck out the next two hitters to keep the game tied.

In the bottom of the eighth, Fon singled, took second on a wild pitch and went to third on a Power single. After a soft liner with the infield in for the first out, the Red Dragons elected to intentionally walk Mierow to load the bases. The strategy looked like it might work when Gregory's grounder to second resulted in a force out at home, but Kuhlmann lined the first pitch he saw to left for a two-run single. Friend added an RBI single through the right side and the Warhawks led 9-6.

Cortland rallied in the ninth off Grove when DeMilio singled with one out and Iacomini singled with two outs. Grove got a foul out, however, to end the game with the potential tying run at the plate.

Curtis Morgan started for Whitewater and allowed five hits and four runs, three earned, in three and a third innings. He struck out one. Justin Mortensen entered in the fourth, got two outs to strand a runner at third and gave up three hits and two runs, one earned, in two and two thirds innings.

Box Score
Interactive Tournament Bracket

Full Replay of Game (on NCAA.com)
NCAA.com Feature Story on Anthony Iacomini

Cortland Postgame Press Conference: