MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Senior Zack Graczyk (Carmel) finished 3-for-4 in each game as nationally fourth-ranked Cortland swept a doubleheader versus The College of Staten Island at the Ripken Experience Complex. The Red Dragons (4-1) won the first game, 10-1, and the second contest, 6-2. Both games were seven innings.
Graczyk doubled twice, tripled and drove in three runs in the opener and was 3-for-4 with three runs scored in the nightcap. Seniors Brian Barry (Nesconset/Smithtown East) and Bryan Mistretta (Commack) each finished with five combined hits in the doubleheader.
Game 1: Cortland 10, Staten Island 1
Freshman Brandon Serio (Bedford Hills/Fox Lane) earned the victory in his collegiate debut. He allowed three hits, two walks and one run with six strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings. Senior George Jweid (Utica/New Hartford) gave up a hit in one scoreless inning and freshman Travis Laitar (Fergus, ON/Centre Wellington) walked one over the final inning and a third.
Graczyk, Barry and Mistretta each finished 3-for-4 as part of Cortland's 15-hit attack. Barry tripled twice and drove in a run and Mistretta doubled and scored twice.
Junior P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) was 2-for-4 with an RBI and junior Chris Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) hit a solo homer and finished 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored.
Chris Ramanauskas was 2-for-3 to account for half of Staten Island's four hits. Starter Richard Anderson suffered the loss.
Cortland scored in the second on a first-and-third double steal with Jackson scoring and senior Ralph Keppler (Rockville Centre/Oceanside) taking second. The Red Dragons' three-run third featured a John Adornetto (Commack) RBI fielder's choice and a Rinaldi RBI single, and Cortland added three more in the fourth on a Kyle Barkley (Penn Yan) RBI double and Graczyk's two-run triple.
CSI scored its run in the fourth when Ramanauskas tripled with one out and was driven in by a Robert Bernardo groundout. Cortland scored twice in the sixth on Graczyk's run-scoring double and Barry's RBI triple. Jackson hit a solo homer to lead off the seventh.
Game 2: Cortland 6, Staten Island 2
Cortland received another strong starting pitching effort as sophomore Brandon McClain (Coram/Longwood) allowed only five hits and one run in five innings. He struck out seven and walked one. Junior Cody Petre (Silver Springs/Letchworth), Cortland's second reliever, entered with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh. He walked the first batter he faced, but recorded a flyout to end the threat and earn the save.
Graczyk's 3-for-4 performance was part of the Red Dragons' 10 hits. Barry went 2-for-2 with a double, walk and two RBI and Mistretta finished 2-for-2.
William DiFede and Michael Milazzo each went 1-for-2 with a walk for the Dolphins (0-2). Kieran Monaghan started and took the loss.
CSI grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a DiFede RBI single, but the Red Dragons tied the game in the bottom of the frame on Jackson's safety squeeze bunt. Cortland grabbed the lead with three runs in the fourth. Barry hit a two-run double with one out and scored later in the inning when Jackson, who was on first base, intentionally got into a rundown and avoided making the last out until Barry crossed the plate.
Cortland added insurance runs on Tim Panetta's (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) RBI single in the fifth and Max Rosing's (Rockville Centre/South Side) hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth. Staten Island scored its run in the seventh with the assistance of three walks and a hit batsman. Ramanauskas drove in the run with a bases-loaded walk.
Cortland completes its Myrtle Beach trip on Sunday with a single game versus Eastern University (Pa.) at 9 a.m.