STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Conrad Ziemendorf (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) doubled home the go-ahead run with two outs in the top of the ninth as nationally second-ranked Cortland defeated the College of Staten Island, 4-3, in the opening game of a non-league doubleheader. The Red Dragons (21-2) also won the second game, 11-2, behind Matthew Michalski's (Buffalo/St. Francis) three RBI and Alex Weingarten's (East Rockaway/Lynbrook) six innings of four-hit ball.

Cortland is idle Sunday and will play a three-game SUNYAC series at Fredonia. The teams are scheduled for a doubleheader Monday at 1 p.m. and a single game Tuesday at 1 p.m.


Game 1: Cortland 4, Staten Island 3 (Box Score)

Cortland faced a tough battle against Staten Island ace Brian Russell in the opener before pushing across the winning run against the Dolphins' bullpen in the ninth. Russell, who entered the game having allowed only two earned runs in 28 innings pitched, gave up three unearned runs in the first to the Red Dragons before throwing seven shutout frames. He allowed only two hits and three walks and fanned six.

Zach Ferris (Stephentown/LaSalle Institute) started for Cortland and gave up four hits and one walk in four and a third innings. He struck out one and permitted two runs. Adam Brant (Staatsburg/Our Lady of Lourdes) earned the win in relief with only one run allowed in three and two thirds innings. Now 2-1, he gave up five hits and three walks and struck out one. Ryan McAlary (Shoreham/Shoreham-Wading River) retired the side in order in the ninth for his first save of the season.

Cortland scored twice in the first on an error, followed two batters later by a two-out Ziemendorf RBI double. After Anthony Simon (Suffern/Don Bosco Prep (NJ)) singled in the third, Russell retired the last 16 batters he faced.

The Dolphins put up two runs in the first on a Frank Smith two-run single. They stranded runners on third base in both the fifth and sixth innings, but broke through in the seventh inning of the nine-inning contest to tie the score. With two outs, Elijah Rodriguez singled and scored on a Nick Delprete double. Delprete moved to third on a Frank Muzzio single, but Brant got the next batter to hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Rodriguez finished 2-for-3 with two walks and Delprete was 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI.

CSI reliever Jason Failia retired the first batters in the ninth before Austin Clock (Niskayuna) singled. Adam Smith (Vestal) ran for Clock and Ziemendorf hit a double down the right field line to bring home the go-ahead run.

Game 2: Cortland 11, Staten Island 2 (Box Score)

CSI took the lead in the bottom of the third of the seven-inning nightcap on a Francis Munoz RBI single. Cortland plated three runs in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk) led off with a single and Clock singled with one out, although Clock was thrown out during the play. Michalski hit an RBI single up the middle to tie the game, followed by Connor Griffin's (Cortland) RBI double and Connor Manderson's (New Hartford) RBI single.

The lead grew to 4-1 on a Fabio Ricci (Hawthorne/Westlake) RBI single in the sixth. The Red Dragons broke the game open with seven runs in the seventh. The inning was highlighted by a Clock RBI single, Michalski's two-run double, Ricci's RBI groundout and Sean Getman's (Oneonta) RBI bases-loaded walk. CSI scored in the seventh on a Allen Smieya bases-loaded walk but left the bases loaded.

Weingarten improved to 4-1 with the win as he allowed only one unearned run on four hits in six innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. Ryan Kennedy gave up two hits in three scoreless innings as CSI's starter, but four Dolphin relievers allowed 11 runs, seven earned, on 11 hits.

Griffin was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs, Michalski finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs, and Bomasuto ended 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs. Clock posted a 2-for-4 effort with an RBI and run and Ricci was 1-for-2 with two RBI.