CORTLAND, N.Y. –
Austin Clock (Niskayuna) went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored as nationally top-ranked Cortland (33-2) defeated visiting Cazenovia, 11-2, in a non-league game for its 15th consecutive victory.
Nick Di Benedetto (Nanuet), the first of four Cortland pre-determined pitchers, improved to 3-0 with four and a third innings of four-hit ball. He gave up two runs, one earned, struck out three and walked none.
Patrick Healy (Massapequa) followed with two innings of one-hit shutout ball with one strikeout.
Jason Martin (Turin/South Lewis) retired all five batters he faced, four by strikeout, and
Ryan McAlary (Shoreham/Shoreham-Wading River) allowed one hit and fanned one in the ninth.
Matthew Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored and
Conrad Ziemendorf (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) reached base four times, despite no official at-bats, with three walks and a hit-by-pitch. He scored two runs. Off the bench,
Patrick Schetter (Beacon) was 2-for-2 with an RBI and
Nick Hart (Fredonia) finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Dan Crozier hit a leadoff homer in the second to put Cazenovia (10-19) up 1-0. The Wildcats also scored in the sixth on Dan Colburn's sac fly. Shawn King, the first of seven Cazenovia pitchers, took the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, in two and two thirds innings. He gave up four hits and three walks and struck out one.
Cortland took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the second. Clock led off with a double and scored with two outs on
Adam Smith's (Vestal) bunt single. Smith eventually stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch. The Red Dragons added three in the third on a double play grounder, an
Anthony Simon (Suffern/Don Bosco Prep (NJ)) RBI single and a Michalski RBI double.
Hart's RBI single in the fifth extended the lead to 6-1, and an error later in the inning allowed another run to score. Clock doubled home a run in the sixth, and the Red Dragons tacked on three in the eighth on a
Keith Andrews (Commack) RBI groundout and RBI singles from Schetter and Hart.
The Red Dragons will host the four-team SUNYAC tournament Friday-Sunday, May 1-3, at Wallace Field. Cortland will open versus Fredonia Friday at noon, followed by Oswego facing Brockport at 3:30 p.m.
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