CORTLAND, N.Y.-- On a perfect day for baseball with temperatures in the low 70s, Cortland put on an offensive, defensive, and pitching clinic, holding Clarkson to only two runs while plating 14 of its own in a doubleheader sweep of Clarkson. The Red Dragons were led by left fielder Colin BeVard (Syracuse/West Genesee) and first baseman Matthew Krafft (Cornwall), who combined for seven hits and six RBI, to defeat the Golden Knights, 8-1 and 6-1.
 
Cortland (4-2) will have an off day before hosting Cobleskill in a non-conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon starting at noon.
 
Cortland 8, Clarkson 1
 
After a scoreless start through four innings, Cortland's bats came alive in the fifth to score six runs. On the hill, Cortland starter Ryan Flansburg (Queensbury) was dominant, going six innings and allowing just one earned run on two hits while striking out one to earn his first victory of the season. The bullpen took it from there, featuring Bailey Gauthier (Camillus/West Genesee), who threw two scoreless innings in relief, and Dan Hobbs (Saratoga Springs) to close it out in the 9th.
 
After trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Andrew Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) got the Red Dragons on the board scoring on a wild pitch from Clarkson starter Eric Corhouse. From there, the Red Dragons continued the momentum hitting five straight singles, including RBI hits by Scott Giordano (Croton-on-Hudson/Croton-Harmon), James Varian (Hopewell Junction/Trinity-Pawling), Daniel Coleman (Saratoga Springs), Krafft and Ben Rhodes (Amsterdam).
 
The Red Dragons extended their lead in the sixth on a Coleman RBI single and added a final insurance run in the eighth on a Rhodes RBI single.
 
Rhodes collected three hits and two RBI, while Giordano also recorded three hits along with one RBI. For Clarkson, third baseman Michael Tito was the hot hitter collecting two hits and scoring the Golden Knights' lone run of the game.
 
Cortland 6, Clarkson 1
 
In the seven-inning nightcap of the doubleheader, left-hander Brandon Buchan (Seaford/MacArthur) got the start for the Red Dragons and went five strong innings, allowing no runs on just two hits while striking out a pair to earn his first victory of the season.
 
The Red Dragons got off to a quick start off of Clarkson starter Jake Phillips thanks to a first inning RBI double from BeVard, who later scored after a throwing error by the catcher. After an incredible catch in foul territory by first baseman Krafft to end the top half of the second, the Red Dragons carried that momentum into the bottom of the inning. With two runners on, BeVard drove over the right field fence for a three-run home run to push the lead to five.
 
After another incredible diving catch on a Clarkson line drive to end the top of the fourth, Krafft led off the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to deep left field to push the Red Dragon lead to 6-0.
 
The Golden Knights scored their only run in the seventh inning as Derek Cuyler hit an RBI single off of freshman pitcher Brad Battaglini (West Islip). Battaglini, making his college debut, tossed the final inning allowing one run on two hits after Liam Krasney (Greenville) pitched a scoreless sixth with one hit allowed.