AUBURN, N.Y. – Amherst pitcher Bob Cook tossed a complete-game five-hitter and went 3-for-3 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored as the sixth-seeded Lord Jeffs defeated second-seeded Cortland, 6-3, in a winner's bracket game at the NCAA Div. III Baseball Regional at Falcon Park.

Cortland (35-10) will play an elimination game Friday at 1:15 p.m. versus Neumann University (Pa.). The Red Dragons will have to win five more games – two Friday, two Saturday and one Sunday – in order to win the regional. Amherst (27-11) will play Ithaca in the winner's bracket final Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Cook allowed three runs, two earned, with five strikeouts and two walks. He's 5-2 on the season. Cortland starter Kyle Barkley (Penn Yan) suffered only his second loss in nine decisions. He gave up nine hits and six runs, four earned, in three and two-thirds innings. He struck out six and did not walk anyone. John Molloy (Franklin Square/Carey) did not allow a run over the final four and a third innings. He gave up two hits and one walk and fanned two.

Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Zack Graczyk (Carmel) singled, went to third on a Chris Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) single and scored on a P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) groundout.

Amherst, however, scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first and never trailed from that point. The first four batters for the Lord Jeffs – Jonathan Ramirez, Taiki Kasuga, Alex Hero and Cook – all singled, with Cook's hit driving in a run. One out later, Dave Cunningham hit a grounder to third, but the throw to the plate hit Kasuga in the back and two runs scored. Conner Gunn followed with an RBI single up the middle.

The Jeffs added a run in the third on a double steal by Cunningham and Cook and another in the fourth on a Hero two-out, RBI infield single.

Cortland scored in the fifth when Bryan Mistretta (Commack) was hit by a pitch, took second on a balk, went to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a passed ball. Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) hit a solo homer in the seventh, but Cortland managed only one more hit – an Anthony Iacomini (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) one-out double in the ninth.

Amherst out-hit Cortland by an 11-5 margin. In addition to Cook's three hits, Hero finished 2-for-3 and Kasuga was 2-for-4. Graczyk was 2-for-4 for Cortland.