PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Cortland scored six times in the fourth inning to break open a tight game and the Red Dragons defeated host Plattsburgh, 9-1, to complete a three-game weekend sweep of the Cardinals.

Cortland, ranked first nationally in Div. III, improved to 32-2 overall with its 14th consecutive victory. The Red Dragons finish SUNYAC regular-season play with a 17-1 league mark. Cortland will host Cazenovia Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. and will open the four-team, double-elimination SUNYAC tournament at home Friday at noon against Fredonia. Oswego and Brockport are the other teams in the field and will play Friday at 3:30 p.m.

Zach Ferris (Stephentown/LaSalle Instiute), the first of five Cortland pitchers in a predetermined rotation, earned the win with three innings of four-hit ball. He allowed one run in the first inning. Adam Brant (Staatsburg/Our Lady of Lourdes) and Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk) each pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one and two hits, respectively. Jesse Winters (Saratoga Springs/Saratoga Central Catholic) and Travis Laitar (Fergus, ON/Centre Wellington) finished the game with one scoreless inning apiece, each walking one while Laitar also fanned two batters.

Plattsburgh (12-20, 6-12 SUNYAC) took the lead in the first without hitting the ball out of the infield. Brian Latulipe led off with a bunt single and went to second on a Nick Lupo sacrifice. He then moved to third on a balk and scored on Frank Buksa's bunt single to third.

Cortland broke through versus Plattsburgh starter Will Flynn in the fourth with a 10-batter inning. Conrad Ziemendorf (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Bomasuto single to right. With two outs, Matthew Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) was hit by a pitch and Adam Smith (Vestal) singled to right center to score Bomasuto.

Pinch hitter Nick Hart (Fredonia) followed with a single to right to score pinch runner Patrick Schetter (Beacon) from third, and Smith also scored on the play after an error by the right fielder. Hart went to third on the error, Donny Castaldo (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) walked and stole second, and Mark DeMilio (Valhalla) hit a two-run single to finish the inning's scoring.

Schetter singled in a run in the fifth, and Cortland's final runs came in the ninth on a Keith Andrews (Commack) two-run double following a Matt Personius (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) two-out, pinch-hit single and a Sean Getman (Oneonta) hit-by-pitch.

Ziemendorf and Smith were each 2-for-4 to lead Cortland's 14-hit attack. Lupo and Mike Vargues each went 2-for-3 for Plattsburgh.

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