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| Brandon Serio has Cortland State 2-0 for the first time in the D-III World Series. Photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com |
Postgame news conferences
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By Jim Dixon
D3baseball.com
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Cortland had 12 chances to go 2-0 in the D-III World Series and failed. Thirteen was a lucky number as Cortland State defeated Frostburg State 4-1 in Game 6 of the NCAA Division III World Series at Appleton, Wis.
"I thought that was a high caliber baseball game between two very good teams," Cortland State coach Joe Brown said.
"The irony is that we had some teams that come out in the past, I recall the 2008 team that won 38 games in a row and we come out here and we are out in two. You never know some times but this group had grinded, scratched and clawed all year."
Cortland was in control of the game from the first inning. Cortland second baseman Mark DeMilio started the first with a single up the middle and advanced on Conrad Ziemendorf safety. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up so DeMilio was in position to score on Anthony Simon's single through the left side of the infield.
"It was the plan to get to them early," Brown said. "We wanted to get guys on base so we could create some things. You cannot win sitting on the fence.'"
Cortland added two more runs in the second by virtue of pitcher mistakes. Clayton Friemuth's pitch grazed the uniform of Ziemendorf with the bases loaded, forcing Fabio Ricci home from third. A Vinny Bomasuto walk brought home Justin Teague to make the score 3-0.
"I think we could have gotten a few more in that inning," Brown said. "They are such a good baseball team that two or three runs are enough."
Meanwhile, Brandon Serio was on point, stranding a lead off single in the first and a leadoff double in the second. A diving catch by righfielder Ricci and two groundouts to Demilio at second gave Serio his first three-up, three-down inning.
"My biggest pitch was the two seamer," Serio said. "We usually attack hitters outside but inside was a better way to go as their hitters were not ready for that."
"Throughout the whole game, his consistency was there," Cortland catcher Teague said. "His velocity did not die off, working both sides of the plate. He did not take it easy on them today."
Freimuth settled down after the second, facing the minimum number of batters in the third and fourth innings.
"I thought Clayton did an amazing job settling down from those first two innings," Frostburg State coach Guy Robertson said. "He battled like he did all year, gave us a chance to win the ball game but it was not good enough today."
"Their man did a great job, minimizing, had us off balance for a few innings," Brown said.
The Bobcats finally broke the ice in the fifth inning. DeMilio misplayed a JT Tipton ground ball for his third error of the season. Singles by Greg Schneider and Ricky Castro brought the Bobcat's second baseman to home plate. Serio's fifth strikeout of the game ended the Frostburg threat.
"I was just trying to get something going," Schnieder said. "I was trying to do anything to spark the fire and get a few hits."
Freimuth got into trouble in the sixth inning of his own making, opening the inning with his sixth and seventh free passes of the game. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up 90 feet. Justin Teague's ground ball was fielded by the first baseman who fired to the catcher to nip Adam Smith, who had entered the game earlier as a pinch hitter. A flyout to center would end the inning with the score remaining 3-1.
Cortland would close the scoring in the eighth inning. Austin Clock would lead off the inning with a double down the left field line, ending the day for Freimuth. Tyler Hoffman, his replacement, would only last two batters. Hoffman allowed a sacrifice before Ricci singled for his third hit and first RBI of the series.
"That fourth run real late, was very important, a great job by our hitter," Brown said.
Serio allowed six hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts in a complete game performance. He allowed one run, unearned. Freimuth scattered eight hits in seveninnings. He walked seven and stuck out four batters. Hoffman, Zach Lawhorn, and Daniel Richardson each got one out in the eighth inning to close out the game.
Teague led the Red Dragons with a pair of hits. Ricci was 1-for-1 with three walks. Schneider and Ricky Brady had two hits for the Bobcats.