SALISBURY, MD. – Salisbury scored what proved to be the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning and the nationally second-ranked Sea Gulls defeated 10th-ranked Cortland, 5-4, in the second game of a three-game weekend series between the schools.
The teams will close out the weekend with a game Sunday at noon at Salisbury's Williams Stadium.
Cortland (0-2) tied the game at 4-4 with a run in the top of the eighth.
Nick Plue (Guilderland) was hit by a pitch with one out and pinch runner
Jon Munoz (Yorktown Heights/Yorktown) advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Dylan Mackenzie (Canandaigua/Canandaigua Academy) walked and
Adam Mieczkowski's (Vestal) pinch-hit RBI double off Salisbury reliever Shawn Rosemond brought home Munoz. Rosemond, however, got out of trouble with two strikeouts to strand Cortland runners on second and third.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cortland retired the first two Salisbury batters before Trent Waire drew a walk. Max Ehrhardt reached on an error and pinch hitter Ben Anderson walked to load the bases. Mickey Haynes, who had pinch run for Waire, scored on a wild pitch to give the Sea Gulls the lead. Rosemond allowed only a one-out single in the top of the ninth and earned the win.
Cortland led 1-0 in the third on a
Nick Chemotti (Syracuse/West Genesee) RBI groundout and Salisbury answered in the bottom of the inning on Danny Sheeler's RBI single. Cortland plated two runs in the sixth on Mackenzie's two-run double, but the hosts put up three runs in the bottom of the frame on an Adam Tommer two-run double and an Ehrhardt two-out RBI double.
Dylan Beers (Woodbury/Monroe-Woodbury) started for Cortland and allowed one run on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts in four innings.
Anthony Fusco (Yorktown Heights/Yorktown), Cortland's fourth reliever, took the loss after entering with one out in the eighth. Salisbury starter Benji Thalheimer gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked one.
Chris Bonacci (Syracuse/West Genesee) led Cortland at the plate with a 3-for-5 effort. Sheeler was 2-for-4 for Salisbury (2-0).
