CORTLAND, N.Y. - Chris Bonacci (Syracuse/West Genesee) went 2-for-4, including his 200th career hit, and Dylan Tierney (East Greenbush/Columbia) finished 3-for-4 with a homer and three runs scored as Cortland defeated Fredonia, 8-2, in the first game of a three-game SUNYAC series.
 
Cortland improved to 12-10 overall and 3-3 in the SUNYAC with the victory. Fredonia dropped to 8-7 overall and 1-3 in the league. The teams will play a doubleheader Friday at noon at Cortland. Fredonia is the "home" team during the entire series since the games were originally scheduled to be played at Fredonia but were moved to Cortland due to weather and field conditions.
 
Bonacci became the 10th player in program history to reach the 200-hit mark with a double in the top of the sixth inning. He had singled to lead off the game for his 199th hit.
 
Nick Jessen (Syracuse/West Genesee) went five innings for the win and improved to 4-2 on the season. He gave up just three hits and one walk, allowed one run and struck out seven batters. Jessen pitched out of an early jam with runners on first and third and one out by striking out two hitters. After he issued a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second he retired 10 straight batters before allowing a run.
 
Nick Hanson (Ladera Ranch, CA/Aliso Niguel) tossed three shutout innings, giving up only one hit and striking out six. Dan Collins (Poughkeepsie/Spackenkill) allowed two hits and an unearned run with one strikeout in the ninth.
 
Nick Marola (Saratoga/Scotia-Glenville) was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and Nolan Smith (Hamburg) finished 1-for-3 with a double and hit by pitch for Cortland, which finished with eight hits and six walks.
 
Nick Syposs started for Fredonia (8-7, 1-3 SUNYAC0 and allowed four runs, three earned, in five innings. He gave up three hits and walked three. Mike Protz, the second of three Blue Devil relievers, tossed two scoreless innings with one hit allowed and two strikeouts. Cole Schraufstetter ended 1-for-2 with a double and Andrew Tucker was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
 
Tierney's solo blast to lead off the third gave Cortland a 1-0 lead. Tierney also singled to lead off the fifth, was bunted to second by Marola and scored on a two-out error. Fredonia drew within 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Tucker doubled with two outs and scored on an AJ Roach RBI single.
 
Cortland scored four runs in the sixth. Marc Stockhausen (Bronx/St. Raymond) walked and Smith was hit by a pitch to start the inning and knock out Syposs. An errant pickoff throw to second allowed the runners to advance to second and third and Zachary Kringdon (Larchmont/Mamaroneck) hit a sac fly to right to drive in a run. With Smith still on second, Lucas Granger (Horseheads) hit a ball to deep center. The center fielder Schraufstetter ran back and made a diving catch, but Smith was able to tag and score from second to make it a 4-1 game.
 
Tierney followed with a single and Marola hit a two-run homer to extend the lead to 6-1. Bonacci followed with the double to left for his milestone hit.
 
Cortland added a pair of runs in the ninth. Bonacci and Danny Jackson (Lagrangeville/Arlington) each walked, and Jackson and pinch runner Reid Martin (Dansville) moved up to second and third on a wild pitch. Luke Schartner (Bayport/Bayport-Blue Point) followed with a two-run single to center. Fredonia scored the game's final run on a Tucker sac fly in the bottom of the ninth.