CORTLAND, N.Y. – Cortland and Oswego split the opening day of the SUNYAC Tournament championship round Friday afternoon at Wallace Field. Oswego took the opener, 11-1, before the Red Dragons responded with an 11-5 victory in the nightcap to force a deciding Game 3 Saturday at 2 p.m.
Cortland is now 28-10-1 overall, while Oswego moved to 23-15. The tournament winner will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III tournament.
Game 1: Oswego 11, Cortland 1
The Lakers grabbed the lead in the second inning when Brendan Mair launched a solo homer to left center. Oswego extended its lead in the third as Dylan Rosenberg led off with a solo homer to make it 2-0. After Brogan Olson and Harry Uvena were both hit by pitches, Mair lined a two-run double down the left-field line to score both runners for a 4-0 advantage.
Cortland answered with scoring chances in the third and fourth innings.
Danny Jackson (Lagrangeville/Arlington) singled in the third and later advanced to second before
Lucas Granger (Horseheads) singled to put runners on the corners, but a flyout ended the inning. In the fourth,
Tristan Gatchalian singled and
Nolan Smith (Hamburg) walked before
Logan Karwowski (Clay/Cicero-North Syracuse) reached on a fielder's choice to place runners at the corners with two outs, though Oswego escaped again.
Oswego broke the game open in the sixth inning. Hudson Meyer walked and Emil Sander singled before Daniel Winchester drove in a run with a single to left. After a balk moved the runners into scoring position, Rosenberg crushed a three-run homer to left field to extend the lead to 8-0.
Cortland finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning. Smith walked and Karwowski reached on a fielder's choice before
Jack McFerran (Selkirk/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) singled to put runners at first and second. Jackson then lined an RBI single up the middle, scoring Karwowski to make it 8-1. The Lakers added another run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Olson before tacking on two more in the ninth to make it 11-1.
Jackson paced Cortland offensively by going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Granger and Gatchalian each added a hit, while Smith reached base three times via a hit and two walks. Rosenberg led Oswego by finishing 4-for-6 with two homers and four RBI's, and Mair went 3-for-4 with a homer, double and three RBI's.
Ryan McLaughlin (Warwick/Warwick Valley) started the opener for Cortland and took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in two and two thirds innings with one strikeout.
Connor Durkin (Poughkeepsie/Roy C. Ketcham) worked one-third of an inning in relief, while
Luke Boule (Syracuse/Christian Brothers Academy) tossed two and a third innings with one strikeout.
Anthony Sampo (Syracuse/Westhill) struck out two in two innings, and
Eli Stowe (Poughkeepsie/Millbrook) added one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.
Eddie Rethorn (Staten Island/St. Peter's) closed out the ninth.
Oswego starter Mason Sands earned the win after allowing one run on seven hits over six innings with two strikeouts. Aiden Kerr picked up the save with three shutout innings and three strikeouts.
Game 2: Cortland 11, Oswego 5
Cortland's offense broke through in the second inning and the Red Dragons never trailed from that point.
Nicholas Plue (Schenectady/Guilderland) worked a one-out walk before Jackson drilled a double to right field to put runners at second and third. McFerran followed by lining a two-run double to right center, giving the Red Dragons a 2-0 advantage.
The Red Dragons threatened again in the third. Granger singled and stole second before Smith walked and Plue was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but Oswego starter Jonah Shearer escaped further damage.
Granger opened the bottom of the fifth by hammering a solo homer to left center to make it 3-0.
Talon Elkins (Syracuse/West Genesee) followed with a single and Gatchalian was hit by a pitch. After Smith walked to load the bases, Jackson lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Elkins for a 4-0 lead. McFerran then came through again, ripping his second two-run double of the game to right center to plate Smith and Gatchalian and extend the lead to 6-0.
Cortland continued to pile on in the sixth. Granger worked a one-out walk and Gatchalian launched a two-run homer down the left-field line to stretch the lead to 8-0. Oswego got on the board in the seventh when Thomas Harrington hit a solo homer down the left-field line. The Red Dragons answered immediately in the bottom of the inning. Plue walked and
Carter Corbett (Skaneateles/St. Paul's School (NH))) entered as a pinch runner. Jackson dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Corbett to second before
Anthony Carlo (North Bellmore/St. Anthony's) lined an RBI single through the left side, pushing Cortland's lead to 9-1.
Oswego mounted a rally in the eighth with four straight hitters reaching base. Rosenberg doubled, Harry Uvena singled and Andrew Dempsey drove in a run with a double to right center. Ricky Fasitta followed with an RBI groundout and Harrington added an RBI single to cut the deficit to 9-4.
Cortland responded again in the bottom half. Granger was hit by a pitch and moved to second on an Elkins sacrifice bunt. Gatchalian then ripped an RBI double to right center to score Granger and make it 10-4. After a wild pitch moved Gatchalian to third,
Jack Lawless (Rome/Rome Free Academy) reached on a throwing error by the first baseman, allowing Gatchalian to score for an 11-4 lead. Oswego added one final run in the ninth on a Jaxson Mayo RBI single.
Gatchalian finished 2-for-4 with a homer, double, three RBI's and three runs scored. McFerran went 2-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI's, while Granger scored three times and homered. Jackson added a double and two RBI's as Cortland totaled nine hits and six walks.
Connor Hayden (Aliso Viejo, CA/Aliso Niguel) earned the win after tossing four scoreless innings as the first of a predetermine pitching lineup for the Red Dragons. He allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out two.
Zack Zarrilli (Farmingdale) followed with two and two thirds innings, surrendering one run on two hits with two strikeouts.
Aaron Knuutila (Lockport) recorded two outs in the seventh and eighth innings before
Xander Payne (Medina) closed out the final inning and two thirds.
Uvena went 2-for-3 and Harrington was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Oswego starter Jonah Shearer allowed six runs in five innings and took the loss.
