CORTLAND, N.Y. – Mark Palumbo (Morristown, NJ) allowed one run and struck out eight batters in a complete-game effort as Cortland defeated Oswego, 4-1, in the winner's bracket game of the SUNYAC baseball tournament.

Cortland (29-8), ranked sixth nationally and the top seed in the four-team tournament, advances to the championship round Sunday at noon and needs one win to capture the league title. Brockport opened Saturday's play by eliminating Oneonta, 4-1.

In the final game of the day, Brockport was leading Oswego, 3-2, with Brockport about to bat in the bottom of the eighth when the game was suspended due to rain. The game will resume Sunday at 10:30 a.m., and the winner will have to defeat Cortland twice in order to win the tournament.

Palumbo upped his record to 6-0 with the victory. He scattered eight hits and walked two in addition to his eight strikeouts. Anthony Simon (Suffern/Don Bosco Prep (NJ)) finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) went 2-for-3 with a walk and P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

Miles Kelly started for Oswego (20-11) and gave up four runs, three earned, over six and two thirds innings. He fanned four, walked one and allowed 10 hits. Eric Hamilton finished 2-for-4 and Tim Smith was 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI.

Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Donny Castaldo (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) led off with a single, was bunted to second by Mark DeMilio (Valhalla), was safe at third on a fielder's choice and scored on Rinaldi's double down the left field line.

Oswego had runners on second and third with two outs in the fourth but couldn't score. The Lakers, however, tied the game in the fifth with a two-out rally. Dan Karleski singled, Scott Buniak beat out a bunt single and Smith hit an RBI single to left center.

In the bottom of the fifth, Simon led off with a single and Panetta bunted for a single. With one out, DeMilio hit a single through left side to drive in Simon. Cortland added two key insurance runs in the seventh. With two outs, Anthony Iacomini (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) singled, stole second and scored on Rinaldi's single to center. Rinaldi took second on an error on the play, went to third when Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) reached on an error and scored on Vinny Bomasuto's (Dunkirk) RBI single to center.

Cortland's defense turned a double play in the sixth with runners on first and third and one out and also registered a twin killing after a leadoff walk in the eighth. Palumbo struck out the side in order in the ninth.

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