AUBURN, N.Y. – Senior Zachary Badanes (Syosset) struck out a career-high 12 batters and allowed only two unearned runs in seven and two-thirds innings as Cortland defeated RPI, 5-2, in an elimination game at the NCAA Div. III Baseball New York Regional.
Cortland (37-10) is one of three schools remaining in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament. The Red Dragons will face Amherst College Saturday at 1 p.m. in an elimination game. The winner of that contest will have to beat Ithaca twice – once Saturday at 5 p.m. and again Sunday at 1 p.m. – to win the regional and advance to the NCAA Div. III World Series.
Badanes allowed seven hits and one walk and improved to 5-0 on the season. RPI freshman Stephen Schiavone pitched six innings and gave up three hits, three walks and three runs, two earned. He struck out three.
Cortland broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the bottom of the seventh despite recording only one hit in the inning. Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) and Anthony Iacomini (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) each walked to start the inning and moved up to second and third on a passed ball. With one out, Brian Barry (Nesconset/Smithtown East) walked to load the bases.
Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. A wild pitch by reliever Ash Rao allowed Iacomini to score, and Bryan Mistretta (Commack) followed with a two-run single just off the glove of RPI's diving shortstop as the Engineers were playing with the infield in.
Cortland led 1-0 in the second on a P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) RBI single. RPI (30-15) tied the game in the fourth when Tyler Listing singled, was bunted to second by Andrew Kalish, went to third on a Tim LeSuer single and scored on a passed ball. The Engineers' other run came in the eighth on a two-out error.
Rinaldi finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and Mistretta was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Rosing walked twice and scored a run. For RPI, LeSuer was 3-for-4 and Nick Palmiero finished 2-for-3 as the Engineers ended with seven hits to Cortland's four.