NEWPORT NEWS, VA. – Junior Mitch Hollander finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a 2-run homer that broke a scoreless tie in the fifth, as nationally 10th-ranked Cortland defeated Montclair State, 5-1, in a game played at Christopher Newport University.
Cortland improved to 4-1 with the win. The Red Dragons will play Christopher Newport Sunday at 12 p.m. Montclair lost to CNU following its loss to Cortland and is now 0-2 on the year.
Sophomore Brandon Serio allowed four hits in five scoreless innings for the victory and improved to 2-1. He struck out seven and walked two. Junior Garrett Hoag followed with an inning and two thirds of one-hit ball with one strikeout. Senior Steve Komanecky recorded the final out of the seventh, and senior Steven Kimmelman gave up a hit, a walk and one unearned run over the final two frames.
Montclair starter Dylan Papa gave up three hits and no walks in five innings. He struck out four batters. Louis Pimpinella allowed three hits and a run and struck out two in two innings.
Cortland had just one hit over the first four innings before lighting the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Senior Max Rosing led off with a double and, two batters later, Hollander hit a two-run homer to left to give the Red Dragons the lead.
In the seventh, P.J. Rinaldi, who finished the game 2-for-3, led off with a single to right. One out later, pinch runner Pat Farina advanced to third on a single by Vinny Bomasuto. Hollander singled to left center to drive in Farina and put Cortland up 3-0.
The Red Dragons added two more runs in the eighth. Sophomore Conrad Ziemendorf walked and stole second. Pinch hitter Michael DeCarr flew out to right to advance Ziemendorf to third. Senior Anthony Iacomini was intentionally walked, and a balk scored Ziemendorf and moved Iacomini to second. Pinch hitter Mark DeMilio reached on a bunt single and Rosing drove in Iacomini with a fielder's choice grounder.
Montclair's best threat off Serio came in the third. Philip Scott led off with a double, but was thrown out on third on a grounder to short by Connor Abreu. A two-out Louis Martini single moved Abreu to second. Cody Pace then reached on an infield single to first, but first baseman Rosing was able to throw out Abreu trying to score from second on the play to end the inning.
The Red Hawks broke up the shutout in the bottom of the ninth. Nicholas Martins walked and Anderson Rosa singled to second. Christopher Reynolds then hit a ball to third. Cortland got the force out at second, but the throw to first to complete the double play was wild. Martins scored on the play, although Reynolds was thrown out trying to advance to second.