ITHACA, N.Y. - Ben Moxley (Oneonta) and Jeff Cooke (Rome/Rome Free Academy) combined on a four-hit shutout over seven innings as Cortland defeated Oneonta, 2-0, to earn a split of a SUNYAC doubleheader versus the Red Dragons. Oneonta won the nine-inning opener, 3-2 in 12 innings, after scoring twice in the bottom of the 12th.
The doubleheader was originally scheduled as part of a three-game set at Oneonta, but was moved to Cornell due to the weather. The first game of the series was postponed on Saturday; no makeup date has been announced yet for that contest.
Cortland, ranked second nationally in Division III, is now 22-5 overall and 7-4 in the SUNYAC. The Red Dragons are scheduled to host Rochester on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Oneonta 3, Cortland 2 (12 inn.)
The opener featured a pitching duel between Cortland starter Seth Lamando (Hopewell Junction/Roy C. Ketcham) and Oneonta starter Thomas Bond. Both received no decisions after throwing nine solid innings. Lamando allowed four hits and one unearned run and struck out eight with no walks. Bond gave up five hits and one run with 11 strikeouts and two walks.
Chris DiDomizio earned the win in relief for Oneonta after giving up one unearned run on three hits in three innings. He struck out three and walked none. Cortland reliever Turner Parry (Syracuse/West Genesee) took the loss. He gave up two hits and two runs in two and two thirds innings. He struck out four and walked two.
The teams traded runs in the second inning. Austin Clock (Niskayuna) led off the top of the second for Cortland with a triple and he scored on a Nick Hart (Fredonia) RBI single. Oneonta responded with Dylan Stamile hit a leadoff double and, with one out, scored on an outfield error after a single by Sean Mullins.
Neither team had a runner reach third base over the next nine innings. In the top of the 12th, Hart led off with a double. With two outs, Connor Manderson (New Hartford) reached on an infield single that moved Hart to third. Keith Andrews (East Northport/Commack) then hit a grounder to short and the throw to first was wide. The first baseman attempted to tag Andrews, and the field umpire initially signaled an out to end the inning. As the teams ran off the field, however, the umpires met and reversed the call, with the error allowing the go-ahead run to score.
Oneonta started the bottom of the 12th with a Stamile single to shallow right field. Matt Mastroianni was hit by a pitch, and a passed ball moved the runners to second and third. After Cortland intentionally walked Mullins, Joe Franke hit into a 6-4-3 double play that allowed the tying run to score and moved Mastroianni to third. Michael Grudzinski ended the game with an RBI single through the left side.
Hart finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI and Clock was 2-for-5 with a triple for Cortland. Stamile and Casey Kerdesky each went 2-for-5 for Oneonta, with Stamile scoring twice, and Mullins was 1-for-3 with two walks.
Cortland 2, Oneonta 0
Moxley started for Cortland and allowed three hits in two and a third scoreless innings before being pulled due to an apparent injury. He struck out one and walked one. Cooke went the remaining four and two thirds innings and improved to 3-1 with the victory. The only baserunner he allowed was on a two-out single by LJ Gizzarelli in the fifth. Cooke finished with three strikeouts.
Nicholas Ponesse started for Oneonta (3-17, 1-4 SUNYAC) and allowed two runs, one earned, in five and a third innings. He fanned four and walked two and gave up three hits. Erik Johansen was perfect over the last inning and two thirds with two strikeouts.
Oneonta failed to capitalize on its best scoring chance in the bottom of the first. Kerdesky doubled with two outs and Stamile hit a fly ball to right that dropped in for a hit. Kerdesky tried to score on the play but was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Fabio Ricci (Hawthorne/Westlake).
Ricci then started off the top of the second with a walk and moved to second on a Steven Figueroa (Bronx/St. Raymond's) sacrifice. Ricci went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Matt Personius (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) double to left.
Ricci also scored Cortland's run in the sixth. He reached on a one-out infield single and stole second. Figueroa followed with a walk, and with two outs Ricci stole third and scored on a wild throw. Ricci finished 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs, Personius was 1-for-3 with an RBI double and Conrad Ziemendorf (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) finished 1-for-3 with a triple to account for Cortland's three hits.
For Oneonta, Gizzarelli recorded a single and a sac bunt in his two appearances. Kerdesky, Stamile and Mullins each finished 1-for-3.