ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Marcos Perivolaris (Mattituck) went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored, including a two-run single during a key five-run seventh inning, and Justin Teague (North Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) was 3-for-3 with two RBI as nationally second-ranked Cortland defeated the University of Rochester, 11-3.
Steven Figueroa (Bronx/St. Raymond's) finished 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored for the Red Dragons, who improved to 16-3 on the season. Jon Warner (Tully) and Paul Dondero (East Islip) each were 2-for-4, with Dondero driving in a run and scoring twice, and Patrick Schetter (Beacon) went 2-for-5 with two RBI as Cortland finished with 18 hits.
Patrick Merryweather (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) earned the win in relief of starter Andrew Barnes (Rochester, NH/Spaulding). Barnes did not allow a hit over the first two innings, but Rochester loaded the bases off of him in the third with Cortland up 2-0. Merryweather entered and induced an inning-ending double play grounder. Merryweather threw three innings and allowed one hit, one walk and two runs and struck out three. He was deemed as Cortland's most effective reliever and improved to 3-1 with the victory.
Rochester starter Jack Denzer allowed six runs on nine hits over six and a third innings with one strikeout and fell to 1-1 on the season.
Leading 4-3, Cortland put up five runs on eight consecutive hits in the top of the seventh to take a 9-3 advantage. The rally started with one-out hits by pinch hitter Matthew Personius (Binghamton/Chenango Valley), Dondero and Warner to load the bases. Perivolaris drove in the first two runs with a single to left, followed by a Figueroa RBI triple and a Schetter RBI single. Teague reached on a bunt single, and Jack Massa (Shoreham/Shoreham-Wading River) hit an RBI double to score Schetter.
Cortland scored twice in the first on a Schetter RBI groundout and a Teague RBI single. The Red Dragons added a run in the fourth on a Massa RBI groundout and another in the sixth when Perivolaris led off with a double and eventually scored on a two-out Teague single.
Rochester, however, cut its deficit to 4-3 in the sixth. Pete Carrier led off with a walk and pinch hitter Zach Miraz hit a one-out single. Payten Boice (Homer) relieved Merryweather and Will Conroy hit a three-run homer to left center. Boice settled down after that, however, to end the inning on a strikeout and flyout, and he also struck out a batter with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh to keep the Yellowjackets from getting any closer. Carrier finished 2-for-3 with a walk and Jake Hertz was 2-for-4 with a walk for Rochester.
Cortland tacked on two runs in the eighth. Sean Getman (Oneonta) got things started with a leadoff pinch-hit double. Pinch runner Ralph Nuzzi (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) went to third on a groundout and scored on a Dondero RBI infield single. Two batters later Perivolaris plated a run with a groundout to short.
Billy Goncalves (Manorville/Eastport-South Manor) allowed two hits and struck out one in a scoreless eighth inning, and Patrick Healy (Massapequa) also allowed two hits but no runs in the ninth.
Cortland is scheduled to host SUNY Poly on Tuesday, but there is a good chance that game will not be played due to the weather and field conditions. Official word on the status of that game will likely be announced on Monday.