Box Score A four-run fourth by SUNY-Cortland St. broke open the contest, as the Red Dragons cruised to a 12-4 win over the #24 ranked Webster University baseball team in the opener of the NCAA III Championships "World Series' on May 22, in Appleton, WI.  The Red Dragons, ranked #1 nationally, had five straight singles in the frame to break a 3-3 deadlock, and the Gorloks were unable to mount a comeback.
 
Webster jumped on top, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning.  Mike Golich (FR, Aurora, IL/West Aurora HS) and Max Fecske (SO, North Hollywood, CA/Notre Dame HS) singled to lead off.  On a swinging strike three by Blake Thomas (JR, Troy, IL/Triad HS), Golich and Fecske were on the run and the catcher's throw to second wound up in center field as Golich scored.  Fecske scored on a Kyle Uhrich (SO, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves HS) groundout for the Gorloks' second run. 
 
Freshman Josh Fleming (Columbia, IL/Columbia HS) got the start for Webster.  He was nicked for two runs in the Cortland second after the Red Dragons had three infield hits to start inning.  Fleming struck out the next batter but plunked the next to force in one run.  A grounder to third scored the second Cortland run and the game was tied, 2-2.
 
Cortland and Webster exchanged single runs in the third inning.   A Red Dragon line drive off Fleming's leg for an infield hit, and a single to right put runners at the corners with none out.  A double play grounder to second baseman Golich scored the runner from third and Cortland led, 3-2.
 
In Webster's third, Charlie Gandolfi (SR, Mundelein, IL/Mundelein HS) had a leadoff grounder just over the head of the pitcher to reach first and took second on wild throw by the Cortland shortstop.  Gandolfi stole third and scored on an infield hit deep in the hole at short by Fecske to make it, 3-3.
 
Then came the Cortland fourth.  After a single to left off Fleming, the next batter singled to center with the runners taking third and second on the throw.  Three straight singles each scored single runs to make it, 5-3, Cortland.  Chris Jansen (SR, Cicero, IN/Bishop Chatard HS) was called on to relieve Fleming.
 
A wild pitch to the Jansen's first batter plated the Red Dragons fourth run of the inning, before a fly ball to right and ground out to short ended the inning.
 
Cortland would score single runs in the sixth and seventh, and had a two-run homer in the eighth to build an 11-3 lead.  The Red Dragons would score one more run in the ninth for the 12-4 final.
 
The Gorloks tried to rally in the ninth, with a Jeff Kammer (SR, Chesterfield, MO/Lafayette HS) single, and pinch-hitter Zach Allam (JR, Bloomington, IN/Edgewood HS) walking.  Gandolfi singled to left, scoring Kammer, and Golich singled to load the bases.  But one run was all Webster could bring home. 
 
After Webster scored two runs off him in the first, Cortland starter Seth Lamando settled in and had nine strikeouts after four innings, and finished with 11 Ks in seven and a third innings.
 
For Fleming, it was his toughest outing of the season, going three and a third innings, giving up 11 hits and seven runs, while striking out three.  He falls to 7-3 on the year.  Jansen went an inning and a third and gave up one run on two hits.  Matt Goro (SO, Wildwood, MO/Lafayette HS) pitched a scoreless inning and Trey Tigart (SO, Sikeston, MO/Sikeston HS) gave up an unearned run in one inning of work
 
Golich wound up 3-4 on the afternoon, with a walk, stolen base, and run scored.  Fecske was 2-3, with an RBI, stolen base, and run scored.  Gandolfi went 2-4, with an RBI and run scored.  With his 62 RBI of the season, Uhrich moved into a tie for second placed on Webster's all-time single season RBI list with Joe Biagnini, who had 62 in 2009.
 
Webster will now play Ramapo College (NJ), losers to Frostburg State (MD), 3-1, in the opening round, 10:00 a.m. on May 23.  The Roadrunners are 32-15 on the year.  Webster falls to 34-14 with the loss.