MADISON, N.J. - Danny Jackson (Lagrangeville/Arlington) hit a three-run double with two outs in the top of the ninth and Cortland trailing by a run and the nationally 16th-ranked Red Dragons defeated third-ranked Kean, 12-10, in the opening game of a non-league doubleheader played on the FDU-Florham campus. The second game finished in a 4-4 tie after being called due to darkness with Cortland batting in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Cortland improved to 2-2-1 with the win and tie, while Kean fell to 4-2-1. The Red Dragons avenged a loss to the Cougars in last year's NCAA regional championship round, hosted by Kean.
 
Cortland 12, Kean 10
 
Kean took a 10-9 lead with four runs in the bottom of the eighth on a Michael Simone pinch-hit, three-run double and a Nick Sellari RBI single. Cortland opened the top of the ninth with a Logan Karwowski (Clay/Cicero-North Syracuse) walk and a Nick Vendola (White Plains) sacrifice bunt that moved pinch runner Reid Martin (Dansville) to second.
 
With two outs, Martin stole third, Talon Elkins (Syracuse/West Genesee) walked and Tristan Gatchalian (Manorville/Eastport-South Manor) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jackson, in his first at-bat after entering as a defensive replacement in the previous half inning, fouled off a 2-2 pitch to stay alive before hitting a bases-clearing double to left center.
 
Elkins, who took the mound for the Red Dragons during the eighth inning, continued pitching in the bottom of the ninth and allowed only one baserunner, on a two-out walk, and struck out two batters to pick up the win.
 
Cortland scored three in the top of the first, but Kean scored three in the bottom of the inning and took the lead with a run in the third. Cortland answered with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to go up 6-4. The Cougars tallied a run in the fifth, but the Red Dragons plated two in the seventh to take an 8-5 lead. A Kean run in the seventh and a Cortland run in the top of the eighth set the stage for the late dramatics.
 
Each team finished with 15 hits. Elkins, who started at second base before moving to pitcher, went 3-for-4 with a double, two walks and two runs scored. Gatchaian was 2-for-3 with a walk, two hit by pitches, an RBI and two runs. Joe Yovino (Levittown/Division Avenue) went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Lucas Granger (Horseheads) finished 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and three runs, Vendola was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Anthony Carlo (North Bellmore/St. Anthony's) ended 2-for-5 with a double and RBI.
 
For Kean, Dominic Masino was 3-for-5 with a walk and RBI, Mike Colonnello went 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI, and Jude Clough was 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and three runs. Justin Teixeira finished 2-for-4 with two walks and John Chiusano was 1-for-2 with two walks, a hit by pitch, two RBI and two runs.
 
Cortland used six pitchers in the contest. Connor Hayden (Aliso Viejo, CA/Aliso Niguel) started but was knocked out in the first inning. Dan Collins (Poughkeepsie/Spackenkill) gave up two runs in four innings and Ryan McLaughlin (Warwick/Warwick Valley) allowed one run in two and a third innings. Kean starter Christian Pareja allowed three runs in two innings. Noah Rivera, the Cougars' third reliever, took the loss after being charged with Cortland's final three runs.
 
Cortland 4, Kean 4 (8 inn., darkness)
 
Cortland rallied from a pair of deficits in the contest. The designated "home" team, the Red Dragons scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3 and once in the seventh to knot the game at 4-4. Cortland opened the bottom of the eighth with a Martin walk, but during the ensuing at-bat the umpires halted the game due to darkness and the game officially ended as a tie, with all of the stats from the eighth inning counting since they didn't affect the game's outcome.
 
In the bottom of the third, Vendola doubled with one out and scored on an Elkins two-out single. Brett Hilsheimer tied the game with an RBI groundout in the top of the fourth, and Teixeira's two-run single in the top of the fifth put Kean ahead 3-1.
 
Cortland's two-run bottom of the fifth featured another Elkins RBI single and a Nolan Smith (Hamburg) sac fly. Simone singled in a run in the top of the seventh, but in the bottom of the frame with one out Trey McGowan (Blue Point/Bayport-Blue Point) struck out, but reached first on a wild pitch, and he moved to second on an Elkins walk. Gatchalian followed with an RBI single to tie the game.
 
Elkins finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Gatchalian went 1-for-2 with two hit by pitches and an RBI, Vendola was 1-for-3 with a double, and Connor Lynch (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) was 1-for-3. For Kean, Masino was 2-for-5 with a double, Teixeira, Simone and Nick Sellari each went 1-for-3 with a walk, with Teixeira driving in two runs and Simone one.
 
Warren Miller (Plattsburgh) started on the mound for Cortland and allowed five hits and three runs with three walks and seven strikeouts in four-plus innings. He allowed a run in the fourth, and in the fifth he gave up three straight hits, including Teixeira's two-run single, before being replaced by Paul Byrne (PIttsford/Pittsford Sutherland). Byrne escaped further damage in the fifth and finished with one hit and no runs allowed in an inning and two thirds with a strikeout and two walks. Tyler Blake (Cortland) went the final two and a third innings, giving up one run on three hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
 
Lucas White pitched the first six innings for Kean. He allowed five hits and one walk with two strikeouts and gave up three runs. Anthony Holtje was charged with one run on two hits with two strikeouts and two walks in the seventh inning, plus the leadoff walk before play was halted in the bottom of the eighth.