KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Chris Bonacci (Syracuse/West Genesee) scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth and nationally 10th-ranked Cortland defeated eighth-ranked Marietta, 6-5, during the opening day of the D3 Showcase tournament.
 
Cortland continues play with three games in Greensboro - Friday at 8 p.m. versus sixth-ranked and defending national champion Lynchburg, Saturday versus 20th-ranked Christopher Newport and Sunday against 16th-ranked Denison.
 
Cortland (1-3) led 5-0 after scoring five times in the top of the fourth, but Marietta fought back with two in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the eighth to tie it. In the ninth, Bonacci singled with two outs and stole second. The Pioneers appeared to get out of the jam with a strikeout, but a wild pitch allowed the batter to reach first and move Bonacci to third. Mat Bruno (Rye) was intentionally walked after going to a 3-0 count to load the bases, and a wild pitch brought home Bonacci to give the Red Dragons the lead.
 
Marietta got the leadoff batter on base in the top of the ninth on a hit batter but Connor Lynch (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) threw out the runner stealing second. Cole Rieman singled with two outs and Justin Patsey (Hyde Park/Franklin D. Roosevelt) entered and induced a lineout to left to earn the save.
 
Nick Jessen (Syracuse/West Genesee) started for Cortland and allowed two runs on just two hits with four strikeouts and a walk in four-plus innings. He blanked Marietta through four before being pulled after allowing a single and a walk in the fifth, with both of those runners eventually scoring. Devin Georgetti (Rochester/Gates Chili) pitched three and two thirds innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits with one strikeout. Tommy Lynch (West Seneca/Canisius) entered with two outs and two on in the eighth and allowed a game-tying single by Ty Davis, but he struck out the next batter to keep the game tied. He earned the win after Cortland took the lead back in the ninth.
 
Cortland finished with 10 hits, led by Dylan Mackenzie (Canandaigua/Canandaigua Academy) who went 3-for-5. Bonacci and Nick Chemotti (Syracuse/West Genesee) each finished 2-for-5 with an RBI, with Bonacci's RBI coming on a triple in the fourth. Nick Marola (Saratoga/Scotia-Glenville) hit a three-run double to drive in Cortland's first three runs of that inning.
 
Marietta starter Trent Valentine allowed seven hits and five runs, three earned, in four innings. He struck out four and walked one. Forrest Havanis went the next four innings and gave up no runs on two hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Kail Hill took the loss after allowing the run in the ninth. Ben Kaplin finished 2-for-2 with a walk and RBI, Cole Yeager and Ty Davis each went 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Rieman finished 2-for-5.