OLEAN, N.Y. – Brandon Serio (Bedford Hills/Fox Lane) allowed one hit over six scoreless innings as Cortland defeated Fredonia, 15-2, in the opening game of a SUNYAC doubleheader at St. Bonaventure's Fred Handler Park. The nationally second-ranked Red Dragons won the nightcap, 10-5, behind Austin Clock's (Niskayuna) four RBI.
Cortland, now 23-2 overall (8-1 SUNYAC), is off to its best start in school history through 25 games. The Red Dragons were 22-3 to open the season four different times (1994, 1998, 2007 and 2008). Cortland and Fredonia will complete their three-game series Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Fredonia.
Game 1: Cortland 15, Fredonia 2
Serio improved to 4-0 on the season after facing the minimum 18 batters over six innings in the nine-inning opener. He retired the first nine batters before allowing a Ciro Frontale leadoff single in the fourth. The next batter lined into a double play, and Serio put down the next seven hitters before being replaced to start the seventh. He finished with four strikeouts.
Cortland scored three runs in each of the first two innings to take a 6-0 lead. Fredonia starter Matt Wilhelm hit the first three batters he faced and walked Anthony Simon (Suffern/Don Bosco Prep (NJ)) to force in a run. Austin Clock (Niskyuna) followed with a sac fly and Fabio Ricci (Hawthorne/Westlake) drove in a run with a fielder's choice grounder. The Red Dragons' runs in the second came off a Conrad Ziemendorf (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) two-run triple and a Bomasuto RBI groundout.
Justin Teague (Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) singled in a run in the third and Ziemendorf doubled to lead off the fourth and scored on a Simon one-out double. Cortland scored four in the seventh to take a 12-0 lead. That inning was highlighted by Teague and Bomasuto RBI singles and a ZIemendorf RBI groundout.
Fredonia broke through in the seventh on Dan Cecilia's two-run single. Cortland closed with three in the eighth on RBI singles from Matt Personius (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) and Ziemendorf and a Bomasuto bases-loaded walk.
Ziemendorf finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored and Bomasuto drove in three runs. Simon and Teague each went 2-for-4 with two RBI, with Simon also drawing a walk. Connor Griffin (Cortland) was 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored and Matthew Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) finished 2-for-4 with two runs.
Game 2: Cortland 10, Fredonia 5
Cortland established an 8-0 lead after three innings in the seven-inning nightcap before holding off a Fredonia rally. Clock, who went 2-for-4, hit two-run singles in both the first and second innings. The Red Dragons' five-run second also featured Donny Castaldo (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) and Bomasuto RBI singles.
Nick Hart (Fredonia) stole home as part of a first-and-third double steal in the third. He finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored.
Fredonia picked up a run in the fourth on a Erik Krohl RBI single and scored four in the fifth on a Cecilia RBI single, a Kenny Johnston two-run double and a Quinn Danahy RBI double. Travis Laitar (Fergus, ON/Centre Wellington) entered in relief in the fifth with a runner on and two outs. After walking a batter, he got a groundout to end the inning. Laitar gave up only one hit and one walk over the final two innings for his second save of the season.
Cortland added an insurance run in the sixth on a Bomasuto sacrifice fly and another in the seventh when Hart scored from third before Michalski was tagged out in a rundown between first and second for the final out.
Brandon McClain (Coram/Longwood) started for Cortland and improved to 3-0. He was charged with nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts in four and two thirds innings.
Joe Korszun took the loss for Fredonia (9-12, 4-5 SUNYAC). Johnston finished 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and two runs and Cecilia and Ryan Carmody each went 2-for-4.