CORTLAND, N.Y. –
Dylan Mackenzie (Canandaigua/Canandaigua Academy) homered twice and drove in seven of Cortland's first eight runs as the Red Dragons defeated visiting Mount Saint Mary, 11-1, in a non-league baseball matchup.
Cortland improved to 27-9 overall and has won 22 of its last 24 games. The Red Dragons' home game Wednesday versus Scranton has been canceled due to the weather forecast. Cortland is scheduled to host Moravian University, coached by former Red Dragon assistant Doug Coe, in a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.
Mackenzie hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to give Cortland a 3-0 lead. In the fifth,
Andrew Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) and
Chris Bonacci (Syracuse/West Genesee) led off with singles and advanced on a
Nick Chemotti (Warners/West Genesee) sac bunt.
Mat Bruno (Rye) walked to load the bases,
Adam Mieczkowski (Vestal) walked to drive in a run, and Mackenzie lined a grand slam down the left field line to put the Red Dragons up 8-0.
Cortland scored two more runs in the fifth on an error and a
Kameron Hartenstein (Meriden, CT/Maloney) RBI single, and the Red Dragons' final run came on a
Dylan Tierney (East Greenbush/Columbia) RBI double in the sixth. Mount Saint Mary (11-25) scored in the eighth on a Tyler Crocitto RBI infield single.
Mackenzie finished 2-for-3 with the two homers and seven RBI in just three plate appearances before being replaced in the top of the sixth. Bonacci and
Matthew Krafft (Cornwall) each went 2-for-3 and Mieczkowski was 1-for-1 with two walks, a hit by pitch, an RBI and three runs scored.
Will McCarthy (Farmingdale) improved to 6-1 with five shutout innings. He allowed two hits and one walk and struck out three.
James LaBruno (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) and
Bradley Battaglini (West Islip) each pitched a perfect inning,
Nick Reiser (Nahant, MA/Swampscott) allowed a run and fanned two in the eighth, and
James Capozzi (Oceanside) struck out the side in order in the ninth.
Daniel Mack was 1-for-2 with a walk for the visiting Knights. Ryan Lockhart started and pitched three scoreless innings before allowing three runs in the fourth in his final inning of work. Mount Saint Mary's final two of five relievers, Joseph Vernaglia and Nick Torres, each tossed a scoreless inning.
