SALISBURY, MD. – Jack Massa (Shoreham/Shoreham-Wading River) and Steven Figueroa (Bronx/St. Raymond's) combined to drive in six runs and Patrick Merryweather (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) allowed two hits and two runs in four and a third innings as nationally top-ranked Cortland completed a weekend sweep at 24th-ranked Salisbury with a 7-2 victory.
Massa finished 2-for-4 with a double and four RBI and Figueroa, coming off a 5-for-6 day Saturday, went 2-for-3 with a triple, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored.
Merryweather earned the win as the first pitcher in a predetermined rotation for the Red Dragons. He did not allow any hits over the first four innings before giving up two singles in the fifth. He walked two, struck out four, and was charged with two runs.
Andrew Barnes (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) was Cortland's second reliever. He entered in the fifth with the bases loaded and one out and Cortland ahead 7-1. He walked the first batter he faced to force in a run, but struck out the next hitter. Over three and a third innings, Barnes gave up just one infield hit and two walks and struck out seven. Anthony Visconte (East Islip) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with one strikeout as Cortland pitching combined fan 12 Salisbury batters.
Justin Meekins finished 1-for-2 with a walk and RBI for Salisbury (2-3). Starter Brad Keith allowed four hits and six runs with six walks and two strikeouts in four innings. Pete Grasso, the Sea Gulls' third reliever, threw four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, no walks, and three hits allowed.
Cortland took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Figueroa and Matt Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) drew walks, with Figueroa stealing second prior to the Michalski walk. With two outs, the runners advanced on a wild pitch. Colin BeVard's (Syracuse/West Genesee) walk loaded the bases, and Massa hit a single to center to drive in Figueroa and Michalski.
The Red Dragons extended the lead to 7-0 in the fifth. Jon Warner (Tully) walked, stole second, and went to third on a Billy Kozak (Sidney) bunt single. Kozak finished the day 2-for-5. Both runners scored on a Figueroa two-run triple. Michalski followed with an RBI single and, four batters later, Massa hit a two-run double.
Salisbury's two-run fifth started when Jack Barry recorded the host's first hit, a sinking liner that was almost caught. Kevin Dean singled with one out, and a Scott Ardoin single loaded the bases. Meekins was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and with two outs Tom LaBriola drew a walk to force in the other run. The Sea Gulls had only one other inning with a runner in scoring position when Meekins walked and was bunted to second in the bottom of the first.
Cortland will travel to Newport News, Va., next Saturday to face Susquehanna University (Pa.) and the host school Christopher Newport, followed by a game Sunday at nationally 10th-ranked Randolph-Macon in Ashland, Va. Susquehanna finished second behind Cortland at last year's NCAA New York Regional, while Randolph-Macon was second at the NCAA Mideast Regional.