CORTLAND, N.Y. – Brandon Serio (Bedford Hills/Fox Lane) threw a six-hit shutout as Cortland defeated Oswego, 4-0, in the second game of a SUNYAC doubleheader at Wallace Field. Oswego won the opening game, 5-3 in nine innings, with a four-run top of the ninth.
Cortland, ranked fourth nationally by D3baseball.com, is now 22-7 overall and 10-2 in the SUNYAC. Oswego is 15-7 and 7-5.
GAME 1: Oswego 5, Cortland 3 (9 inn.)
In the seven-inning opener, the teams were tied at 1-1 before Oswego broke through in the top of the ninth. Tim Smith hit a one-out single, took second on a wild pitch and went to third on a wild pitch as Eric Hamilton drew a walk to put runners on first and third. Garrett Hoag (Dansville) relieved starter Brandon McClain (Coram/Longwood) and gave up an RBI single to Myles Kutscher that put the Lakers up 2-1. Tyler Baker singled in two runs later in the inning and an error on a pickoff play at third allowed the last run to score as Oswego took a 5-1 lead.
Cortland got two runs back in the bottom of the ninth on a Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk) two-run homer to left after Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) had singled with one out. The next two batters, however, flied out to end the game.
McClain suffered his first loss and is 6-1 this spring. He gave up eight hits, one walk and three runs in eight and a third innings. He struck out seven batters. Tim Cronin pitched eight innings and earned the win for the Lakers. He allowed seven hits, a walk and a run with four strikeouts. Josh Martin pitched the ninth in a non-save situation.
Smith finished 3-for-4 and Jordan Giller was 2-for-3 for Oswego. Bomasuto finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and Rosing went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Red Dragons.
GAME 2: Cortland 4, Oswego 0
Serio improved to 6-2 after giving up six hits and two walks and fanning seven in the nine-inning nightcap. Ryan Brinkman started for the Lakers and was charged with three runs on seven hits in five and a third innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Keith Andrews (Commack) finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. He singled in a run in a two-run second inning and added an RBI single in the sixth. Mark DeMilio (Valhalla) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) finished 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the seventh and Anthony Iacomini (South Salem/John Jay-Cross River) was 2-for-4.
DeMilio and Rinaldi led off the second with singles, with DeMilio taking third on the Rinaldi hit. A throwing error on the play allowed Rinaldi to go to second. Mathew Wild (Auburn) grounded out to short to drive in DeMilio and, with two outs, Andrews singled to center to plate Rinaldi.
Wild walked to start the sixth, was bunted to second by Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) and scored on an Andrews single through the right side. Rinaldi's RBI double down the left field line finished the scoring in the seventh.
Oswego had runners reach at least second base in five different innings but was unable to score. The Lakers stranded a runner on third in the sixth, and in the seventh Iacomini made a leaping catch on a line drive with runners on first and third to end the inning. John Rauseo went 2-for-4 and Giller was 1-for-2 with a walk for the guests.
Cortland will play a three-game SUNYAC series at Oneonta Friday and Saturday, April 18-19. The teams will play a single game Friday at 3 p.m. and a noon doubleheader Saturday.