ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – Cortland, ranked third nationally by D3baseball.com, opened its 2015 season with a doubleheader sweep versus Stevenson University of Maryland in games played at North Carolina Wesleyan. The Red Dragons won the nine-inning opener, 7-5, and the seven-inning nightcap, 9-5.
Cortland has added a doubleheader at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. with two seven-inning games. The Red Dragons' originally scheduled games Saturday at Johns Hopkins and Sunday at Wesley were canceled due to the weather and field conditions.
Game 1: Cortland 7, Stevenson 5
Cortland rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to erase a 4-2 deficit and added two more runs in the eighth on its way to the victory. Sophomore Nick Hart (Fredonia) hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh to give the Red Dragons the lead and junior Seth Lamando (Hopewell Junction/Roy C. Ketcham) doubled in two runs in the eighth as part of a three-RBI game.
Stevenson took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Troy Miller RBI single. Cortland tallied two in the fifth on a Lamando grounder and a Mark DeMilio (Valhalla) sacrifice fly, but the Mustangs tied the game on a Nick Peifer double and John D'Aquanno RBI single in the bottom of the inning. Stevenson grabbed the lead with two in the sixth on a Kevin Wu bases-loaded walk and a Jake Dimon sac fly.
Junior Austin Clock (Niskayuna) finished 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored for the Red Dragons. Miller, Peifer and D'Aquanno each went 2-for-4 for Stevenson.
Junior Brandon Serio (Bedford Hills/Fox Lane) started for Cortland and allowed two hits, one walk and one unearned run in four innings while striking out six. Junior Nick Di Benedetto (Nanuet), the second of four Cortland relievers, earned the win with an inning and a third of scoreless relief despite three walks. Junior Adam Brant (Staatsburg/Our Lady of Lourdes) allowed only one unearned run on one hit in two innings before junior Tyler Brien (Ilion) entered in the ninth with two on and one out. Brien allowed a sacrifice fly before striking out the next hitter to end the game and earn the save.
Stevenson starter Alec Romanowski gave up five hits and five runs, one earned, in six and two-third innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Game 2: Cortland 9, Stevenson 5
Cortland again came from behind to win the second game. Stevenson led 4-2 after three frames but Cortland took the lead for good with a four-run fourth, highlighted by freshman Matt Personius' (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) two-run double and junior Conrad Ziemendorf's (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) RBI single.
Leading 6-5, the Red Dragons added a run in the sixth on a Ziemendorf RBI triple and scored two unearned runs in the seventh.
Personius finished 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs and Ziemendorf was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run. Hart went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Clock drove in two runs and freshman Patrick Schetter (Beacon) went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Sophomore Evan Honce (East Patchogue/Bellport) earned the win in relief of senior starter Brandon McClain (Coram/Longwood). Honce allowed one run on two hits with no walks and one strikeout in three innings. McClain gave up four runs, three earned, on three hits in an inning and a third. He struck out two and did not walk anyone.
Craig Joseph was 2-for-4 and Peifer finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored for Stevenson (0-3-1). Mustangs' starter Arik Fenstermacher gave up six runs, four earned in four innings. He allowed six hits and four walks and fanned three.