ITHACA, N.Y. – Seniors Mike Hughes (Albany) and Kyle Barkley (Penn Yan) each turned in solid starting pitching performances as nationally third-ranked Cortland swept New Paltz in a SUNYAC doubleheader at Cornell University's Hoy Field.
Hughes allowed four hits and a run in five innings with three strikeouts and no walks in a 5-1 win in the seven-inning opener. Barkley gave up five hits and a run with three strikeouts and no walks in five and a third innings in a 6-2 victory in the nine-inning nightcap. Cortland improves to 13-4 overall and 3-0 in the SUNYAC after completing a three-game weekend sweep of the Hawks (3-10, 0-3 SUNYAC).
Game 1: Cortland 5, New Paltz 1
Cortland took the lead with two runs in the top of the second against New Paltz starter Chris Chismar. Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) walked, was bunted to second by Donny Castaldo (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) and scored on a Michael DeCarr (Syracuse/Westhill) RBI single. Bryan Mistretta (Commack) then doubled down the left field line to bring home DeCarr, who finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
In the third, Brian Barry (Nesconset/Smithtown East) led off with a single and eventually advanced to third on a groundout and wild pitch. With two outs, Chris Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) lined a ball to center that eluded New Paltz's diving center fielder and rolled to the wall. Jackson kept running on the play and New Paltz's relay throw was just up the first-base line, allowing Jackson to beat the tag for a two-run, inside-the-park home run and a 4-0 Cortland lead.
New Paltz scored in the fifth when Matt Prescia singled, went to third on a Thomas Pinnola single and scored on a David Lostaglio sacrifice fly. Cortland completed the scoring in the seventh when DeCarr led off with a double and scored on Zack Graczyk's (Carmel) one-out RBI single.
Senior Tyler Scott (New Paltz) earned his first save of the season. He started the bottom of the sixth with Cortland up 4-1 and allowed one hit and one walk in two scoreless innings. Chismar went the distance for the Hawks and permitted eight hits and three walks while fanning six.
Game 2: Cortland 6, New Paltz 2
New Paltz grabbed an early lead with a run in the bottom of the first on a Matt Carr single and stolen base, a Richard Guido single and an Anthony Repetto sacrifice fly. Barkley, however, retired the final two batters of the first as well as the next seven hitters he faced before allowing a one-out single in the fourth.
Cortland scored twice in the top of the second. The first four batters of the inning – Rosing, Jackson, DeCarr and Bryan Marotta (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) all singled, with Marotta's hit driving in a run. Two batters later, Mistretta hit a fly ball to shallow center field. The New Paltz second baseman made a running catch with his back to the infield and DeCarr tagged up and scored from third.
The Red Dragons scored once in the third, then added two in the fourth on a double steal by Mistretta and DeCarr, with DeCarr scoring, and a Graczyk RBI single. P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) drove in Cortland's final run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
New Paltz added an unearned run in the eighth off reliever Brandon Serio (Bedford Hills/Fox Lane). Carr walked with one out and, with two outs, Repetto hit a single to right center. Carr went to third on the play and was waved home on a fielding error in the outfield.
Rosing finished 3-for-4 and DeCarr was 2-for-3 with two runs. They both finished the doubleheader a combined 4-for-6. Jackson was 2-for-4. Serio allowed two hits, a walk and one unearned run with one strikeout in two and two-thirds innings and Cody Petre (Silver Springs/Letchworth) pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts in a non-save situation.
Carr went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs and Prescia finished 2-for-4 for New Paltz. Chris Pyz lost after allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk in three innings.
Cortland is scheduled to host SUNYIT in a non-league game on Tuesday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m.