CORTLAND, N.Y. – Freshman Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) singled home the tying run in the bottom of the ninth and sophomore Zack Graczyk (Carmel) hit the winning RBI single in the bottom of the 12th as Cortland clinched the SUNYAC regular-season title with a 7-6 victory over visiting Oneonta.
Ranked 12th nationally in Div. III, Cortland (26-6, 14-1 SUNYAC) has earned the right to host the four-team SUNYAC postseason tournament May 6-8. The Red Dragons have hosted the tournament every year since 1997.
Oneonta (20-11, 11-4 SUNYAC) rallied from a 5-1 deficit with two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth to take a 6-5 lead. Nate Jones (Apalachin/Seton Catholic) and Kevin Knack (Ghent/Ichabod Crane) singled in runs in the seventh and Mike Mascari (Syracuse/Westhill), who entered the game as a defensive replacement, hit a three-run homer with two outs in the eighth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Alex Coffey (Hilton) singled with one out and pinch runner James Quinn (Guilderland) stole second. Matt Wild (Auburn) drew a walk and, with two outs, pinch hitter Panetta singled through the left side to score Quinn from second.
Oneonta threatened in the 11th with one-out singles by Mascari and Sean Fruscio (Latham/Shaker), but eventually left runners on first and third. Cortland's winning rally in the bottom of the 12th started with a one-out double by Panetta to deep left. Matt June (Colonie) walked and Graczyk lined a single over the left fielder's head to end the game.
Bryan Marotta's (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) RBI single in the third gave Oneonta an early 1-0 lead, but Cortland tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a Nick Thode (Huntington Station/Walt Whitman) RBI double.
Cortland plated two runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Justin Fredenburg (Saugerties) and Graczyk and scored again in the fifth on a Wild sacrifice fly. John Adornetto (Commack) added an RBI single in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-1.
Junior Tom Nagy (Greenville/Minisink Valley) earned the win with three and one-third innings of two-hit scoreless relief. He struck out three and didn't walk anyone. Michael Mahay (Whitesboro) started for Cortland and gave up five hits and two runs with four strikeouts and no walks in six and a third innings.
Ken Smith (Ossining) started for Oneonta and allowed five runs, one earned, in five and two-third innings. Oneonta committed six errors in the contest, including five through the first five innings. Chris Tyson (Niskayuna) took over on the mound in the sixth and pitched the final five and two-third innings. He allowed five hits and three walks, struck out one and gave up Cortland's last two runs.
Graczyk finished 3-for-7 with two RBI and Panetta was 2-for-2 with an RBI and run scored in his two plate appearances. Adornetto was 2-for-5 with a walk, RBI and run scored. June and Thode each finished 2-for-6, with June also adding a walk and two runs scored.
Mascari was 2-for-2 with his three-run homer and Dean Haussel (Sound Beach/Miller Place) went 2-for-3 for Oneonta. Marotta and Fruscio also registered two hits apiece.