CORTLAND, N.Y. – Mark DeMilio (Valhalla) singled with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to give nationally second-ranked Cortland an 8-7 victory over visiting Oswego in a SUNYAC contest. The Red Dragons upped their record to 19-2 overall, 6-1 in the league. Oswego suffered its first league loss and is now 16-5, 9-1 SUNYAC.
Cortland led 7-2 after seven innings before the Lakers rallied for four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to tie the contest. The Red Dragons had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth with runners on first and third and one out, but Oswego turned an inning-ending double play.
In the 10th, Conrad Ziemendorf (Penfield/Webster Schroeder) led off with a walk and was bunted to second by Nick Hart (Fredonia). After a Matthew Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) walk, Justin Teague (Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) singled to load the bases. Oswego turned a grounder to third into a force at home for the second out, but DeMilio lined the first pitch he saw through the left side for the game-winning hit.
DeMilio finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs in his first game since suffering an injury March 19 in Florida. Anthony Simon (Suffern/Don Bosco Prep (NJ)) also went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Teague was 2-for-2 after entering the game as a defensive replacement at catcher in the eighth.
Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk) started for the Red Dragons and gave up two hits and one walk, although he hit four batters as well, in six innings. He allowed two runs on a Jordan Giller two-run homer in the top of the second. Bomasuto also served as Cortland's designated hitter and was 1-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and a run.
Seth Lamando (Hopewell Junction/Roy C. Ketcham), seeing the field for the first time since an injury March 14 in Florida, earned the win as Cortland's third reliever. He gave up two hits and one run and fanned two in two innings.
Oswego's four-run eighth started with a Robert Donnelly leadoff homer. Later in the inning, Wes Randall doubled in a run, Eric Hamilton plated a run with a groundout, and another run scored on a passed ball. In the ninth, Brian Hamilton led off with a single and pinch runner Eli Holton moved to second on a Kyle Liner sacrifice. Donnelly's grounder to second advanced Holton to third and Kyle Simmons singled to the hole at shortstop to tie the game.
Cortland tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second with two unearned runs when Oswego dropped a throw at first with two outs that allowed two runs to score. The Red Dragons took the lead in the third when Donny Castaldo (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) doubled, went to third on a wild pickoff throw and scored on a foul fly ball by DeMilio down the third base line.
The Red Dragons pushed their lead to 6-2 in the fifth on Simon's two-run single and a Ziemendorf RBI fielder's choice, and they added a run in the seventh on a Bomasuto RBI single.
Charles Arcuri started for Oswego and allowed seven hits and six runs, three earned, in four and a third innings. He walked two and struck out one. Pat Brown and Mickey Putillo each allowed four hits and one run over two and two thirds innings of relief.
Cortland will host Rochester Thursday at 4 p.m.