SALISBURY, MD. –
Steven Figueroa (Bronx/St. Raymond's) finished 5-for-6 with four RBI and four runs scored and
Paul Dondero (East Islip) and
Jon Warner (Tully) each homered as nationally top-ranked Cortland opened its season by defeating 24th-ranked Salisbury, 15-12, in the first of a two-game weekend series.
The Red Dragons and the Sea Gulls (2-2) will meet again in Salisbury Sunday at noon.
Cortland relinquished a 5-1 lead when Salisbury scored four times in the bottom of the sixth. The Red Dragons, however, answered with seven runs in the top of the seventh to take a 12-5 lead. The big plays in that inning included an error that allowed the first run to score, a Figueroa two-run single, a
Matt Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) bases loaded hit-by-pitch, a Dondero sac fly, a
Matthew Personius (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) RBI single, and a Warner bases-loaded walk.
Salisbury came back with four in the bottom of the seventh to close within 12-9. Cortland added what proved to be vital insurance runs with one in the eighth and two in the ninth as Salisbury used two homers to score three times in the bottom of the ninth.
The teams combined for 28 hits, 15 by Cortland. In addition to Figueroa's five hits, Dondero finished 2-for4 with a homer, double and three RBI, Warner was 2-for-5 with a homer, walk, two RBI and three runs scored, and Michalski ended 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI.
Salisbury's Jay Perry, who entered defensively in the top of the fourth, finished 3-for-3 with two homers and seven RBI. He hit a two-run single in the sixth, a three-run homer in the seventh, and a two-run homer in the ninth. Jack Barry and Tom LaBriola each went 2-for-4, with Barry homering and drawing a walk, and Simon Palenchar was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Jeff Cooke (Rome/Rome Free Academy) started for Cortland and took a no decision after four solid innings. He allowed three hits, one walk and one run and struck out three.
Alex Weingarten (East Rockaway/Lynbrook), the second of five Cortland relievers, earned the win as he was the pitcher of record when Cortland broke the tie in the seventh.
Payten Boice (Homer) entered in the ninth after Salisbury had scored its final three runs and retired all three batters he faced, two by strikeout, for the save.
Jeff Oster started for the hosts and gave up six hits and five runs, two earned, in six innings. He fanned six and walked three.
