NEWARK, N.Y. – Zack Durant (Verona/V-V-S) allowed one run over six innings and struck out nine batters as Cortland, ranked 22nd nationally in Division III, defeated Brockport, 6-2, in a SUNYAC contest. The game was moved from Friday afternoon to Thursday evening and was relocated from Brockport to Newark's Colburn Park due to rain in Friday's forecast.
Cortland improved to 27-9-1 overall and 16-0 in SUNYAC play. Brockport is 15-18 overall and 6-10 in the league. The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader at Brockport Saturday at noon to close out each team's SUNYAC regular-season schedule.
Durant, now 6-2 on the season, allowed four hits and four walks to earn the win. His nine strikeouts match his season high. Isiah Hudson (Hyde Park/FDR), the fourth Cortland reliever, entered in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs and two runs already in and the Red Dragons leading 5-2. He struck out a batter to end the inning and allowed only one hit over the final two frames to earn his second save. Hudson finished with three strikeouts and no walks.
Wyatt Myers (Chittenango) finished 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and two runs scored. Sam Kippen (Lyncourt/Solvay) hit a three-run double in the fourth to put Cortland ahead 4-0 and Colin BeVard (Syracuse/West Genesee) led off the top of the fifth with an inside-the-park homer to center to extend the lead to 5-0. James Varian (Hopewell Junction/Trinity-Pawling) and Antonio Pragana (Hopewell Junction/John Jay) added RBI groundouts in the second and eighth innings, respectively.
Liam O'Leary was 3-for-3 with two walks and Nicholas Pastore went 2-for-5 to pace Brockport. The Golden Eagles scored their runs in the seventh on a Lou Miceli hit by pitch with the bases loaded, followed by a Tom Kretzler RBI walk. Alex Brown allowed five runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four and a third innings. Maddox Minton gave up only one hit, one walk and one run and fanned five in four innings before being relieved with one out in the ninth.