BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – Junior outfielder Michael LaTempa (LaGrangeville/Arlington) went 5-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI and four runs scored and Cortland's pitchers combined to strike out 16 batters as the nationally 22nd-ranked Red Dragons defeated Mt. St. Vincent, 10-2.
Junior Mike Hughes (Albany) earned the win for Cortland, which is now 11-4 overall and has won 11 of its last 12 games. Hughes allowed three hits, two walks and one run in five and a third innings with seven strikeouts. Sophomore Brandon McClain (Coram/Longwood) struck out all five batters he faced after entering the game one out into the sixth inning.
Three other relievers – freshman Ryan McAlary (Shoreham/Shoreham-Wading River), senior Peter Lompado (Staten Island/Shattuck-St. Mary's) and freshman Jesse Montalto (Franklin Square/Carey) – each pitched two thirds of an inning. McAlary struck out one and gave up one hit, one walk and one run. Lompado fanned a batter and allowed one hit. Montalto, in his first collegiate appearance, struck out both batters he faced to end the game.
Cortland's offense recorded 19 hits. In addition to LaTempa's five-hit performance, sophomore Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) and junior John Adornetto (Commack) each went 2-for-3 with an RBI, sophomore Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) was 2-for-3 with a double and senior Matt June (Colonie) finished 2-for-4 with a walk.
For Mt. St. Vincent (7-5), Kevin Coogan finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and Jason Rivera was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Mike McManus suffered his first loss in three decisions after allowing 12 hits and five runs in four and two-third innings. He struck out three batters.
LaTempa singled and scored in both the first and third innings. He hit a solo homer to lead off the fifth and hit a two-run round-tripper in the sixth. He finished his day with an infield single in the seventh and left for a defensive replacement in the eighth.
Cortland led 2-1 after four innings before scoring three runs in the fifth on LaTempa's solo homer, a Chris Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) sacrifice fly and a Rosing RBI single. LaTempa's two-run homer in the sixth pushed the lead to 7-1. Mt. St. Vincent scored once in the eighth, and Cortland closed the scoring with three runs in the ninth on a Anthony Brevetti (Homer) sacrifice fly, an error and an Adam Smith (Vestal) RBI single.
Cortland opens SUNYAC play on Friday, March 23, with a game at Brockport at 3 p.m. The teams are also scheduled to play a doubleheader at Brockport on Saturday at noon.