AUBURNDALE, FLA. – Junior first baseman Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) went a combined 8-for-10 with a homer, four doubles, eight RBI and five runs scored as nationally fourth-ranked Cortland opened its Florida trip with wins over FDU-Florham, 20-0, and RPI, 8-5. The Red Dragons improved to 7-1 with the wins and will face 20th-ranked Webster University of Missouri on Monday at 2 p.m.
Cortland 20, FDU-Florham 0
Rosing led Cortland's 21-hit attack versus the Devils by going 5-for-6 with a homer, three doubles, a walk, three runs scored and seven RBI. He drew a bases-loaded walk in the first, singled in a run in the fourth, hit an RBI double in the sixth and hit a grand slam to complete Cortland's scoring in the seventh.
Junior Michael DeCarr (Syracuse/Westhill) was 3-for-5 with a double, walk and three RBI and senior Brian Barry (Nesconset/Smithtown East) finished 2-for-5 with a homer, walk, two RBI and two runs scored. Junior P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) went 2-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and two runs.
Also for the Red Dragons, senior John Adornetto (Commack) finished 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs and senior Ralph Keppler (Rockville Centre/Southside) was 1-for-4 with two walks, two RBI and two runs.
Freshman Brandon Serio (Bedford Hills/Fox Lane) earned his second win of the season. He allowed two hits and one walk and struck out four in five innings. He combined on the shutout with junior Steven Kimmelman (Riverhead) and freshman Travis Laitar (Fergus, ON/Centre Wellington), who went two innings each. Kimmelman gave up three hits and struck out one and Laitar retired all six batters he faced, two by strikeout.
FDU-Florham (2-3) mounted its best threat in the third when Austin Tomasziewicz led off with a walk and went to third on a John Bowe single. Bowe, however, was caught stealing, and Serio got out of the jam with a groundout and a strikeout.
Cortland scored at least once in each of the first seven innings. The Red Dragons broke the game open with five runs in the fourth to go ahead 9-0, then added two in the fifth, four in the sixth and five more in the seventh.
Cortland 8, RPI 5
Cortland trailed its New York State rival 3-0 entering the bottom of the fourth and 4-2 after the top of the sixth before rallying for the win. The Red Dragons tied the game in the sixth. Junior Chris Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) led off with a double and scored on a Rosing single. Rosing took second on the throw to the plate, went to third on a Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) flyout and scored on junior Anthony Iacomini's (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) sacrifice fly to center.
Cortland grabbed the lead with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Barry singled with one out, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch Adornetto then homered to give the Red Dragons a 6-4 lead. Rinaldi singled and stole second, then scored on junior Bryan Marotta's (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) pinch-hit RBI single. A Rosing single moved Marotta to third, and he scored on the play after a throwing error from the outfield.
RPI (2-2) took an early 1-0 lead on a Tyler Listing RBI single in the first and scored twice in the fourth on an Eric Kozak RBI single and a Tim LeSuer sacrifice fly. Cortland put up two runs in the fourth, one on an Iacomini RBI double, but the Engineers scored in the sixth on a LeSuer two-out RBI single.
RPI's final run came in the ninth. LeSuer led off with a single for his third hit in four at-bats, went to third on a Andrew Kalish double and scored on Jonny Rio's groundout.
Jackson finished 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored and Rosing was 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs to lead Cortland's 13-hit effort. Iacomini went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Barry was 2-for-5.
Senior Mike Hughes (Albany) started an earned a no-decision after allowing eight hits, two walks and four runs in five and two-third innings. He fanned five batters. Senior George Jweid (Utica/New Hartford) earned the win in relief – his 17th career victory, but his first since March of 2009 as he has returned this season to use his final year of eligibility after not playing the last three seasons. Jweid allowed one hit and one walk and struck out two in an inning and a third.
Mike Campisi started for RPI and gave up four runs on six hits in five innings. He struck out four. Reid Roberge took the loss in relief.