CORTLAND, N.Y. – Oswego scored five runs in the bottom of the first and the Lakers went on to hand nationally fourth-ranked Cortland its first SUNYAC loss of the season, 9-5, at Wallace Field.
Oswego (12-5, 4-3 SUNYAC) batted last since the game was originally scheduled to be played at Oswego. Cortland had a nine-game winning streak snapped with the loss and is now 19-5 overall and 8-1 in the league.
Tim Cronin allowed two runs over seven innings for the victory. He gave up 10 hits but did not walk anyone and struck out three. Josh Martin gave up three unearned runs in the eighth and Cody LaFlamme pitched a scoreless ninth. Tim Smith went 3-for-5 with three RBI and Dan Karleski drove in two runs to lead the Oswego offense.
Garrett Hoag (Dansville) started for Cortland and gave up five runs, one earned, in a third of an inning. He walked two and allowed just one hit. Among Cortland's four relievers, Ryan McAlary (Shoreham/Shoreham-Wading River) pitched two scoreless innings and Andrew Rosenbaum (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane), in his Red Dragon debut, tossed an inning and a third of scoreless ball.
Bryan Marotta (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh. Donny Castaldo (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) was 2-for-3.
Oswego's five-run first started with an error, a Scott Buniak walk, and another error that allowed a run to score. Mike McMullen doubled to left center to drive in a run. A wild pitch allowed a run to score and Smith drove in a run with a groundout. Michael Mascari then walked and Jordan Giller hit an RBI double to left center.
Michael DeCarr (Syracuse/Westhill) put Cortland on the board with an RBI single in the second. Smith extended the Lakers' lead to 7-1 with a two-run single in the fourth, and it stayed that way until Mathew Wild (Auburn) hit an RBI single in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 7-2.
The Red Dragons almost escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh before pinch hitter Karleski hit a two-run single. Cortland rallied for three runs in the eighth on a Marotta two-run double and a Castaldo RBI single, but left runners on first and third.
Cortland out-hit Oswego, 13-9, but the Lakers walked seven times – two intentional – and were hit by pitches twice, while the Red Dragons drew only one walk in addition to one hit batsman.
Cortland will play a non-league doubleheader Saturday at Vassar at noon and a makeup game with Plattsburgh Sunday at 2 p.m. at Siena College. The Red Dragons will host Oswego next Tuesday in a noon doubleheader.