CORTLAND, N.Y. - Oswego hit four home runs in the opening nine-inning game and scored five unanswered runs over the final two innings in the seven-inning nightcap and the nationally 14th-ranked Lakers swept fifth-ranked Cortland, 8-5 and 5-3, in a SUNYAC doubleheader.
Oswego improved to 23-7 overall and leads the SUNYAC standings with a 12-2 mark. Cortland is 28-7 overall and 13-4 in the league. Cortland will host Oswego in a single game Sunday at noon and needs a win to keep its hopes alive to win the SUNYAC regular-season title.
Oswego 8, Cortland 5
Oswego trailed 4-2 before scoring four runs in the top of the fifth on an Eric Hamilton three-run homer and a Mike Dellicarri solo shot. The Red Dragons pulled within 6-5 on a Jack Massa (Shoreham/Shoreham-Wading River) RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, but the Lakers picked up two in the sixth on an Alex Brown two-run homer. Oswego's other round-tripper on the contest was an Eli Holton solo homer in the second.
Cortland put runners on second and third with no outs in the seventh on singles by Justin Teague (North Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) and Massa, combined with an error on the Massa hit. John-Michael Guarino relieved Oswego starter Mitchell Cavanagh at that point and recorded two strikeouts and a foul out to keep the lead at 8-5. Guarino retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth for his third save of the spring. Cavanagh earned the win despite allowing 11 hits, three walks and five runs over six official innings.
Nate Budge (Central Square/Paul V. Moore) hit a solo homer in the fourth for Cortland. Teague finished 3-for-5, Patrick Schetter (Beacon) was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Massa went 2-for-5 with an RBI, and Steven Figueroa (Bronx/St. Raymond's) finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Cortland registered 11 hits but left eight on base.
Jeff Cooke (Rome/Rome Free Academy) started and took the loss with five innings of six-hit ball. He gave up six runs, three earned, with four strikeouts and no walks.
Holton went 2-for-2 with two walks, two RBI and two runs scored to lead Oswego's eight-hit attack. Hamilton was 1-for-4 with a walk and three RBI and Brown went 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs.
Oswego 5, Cortland 3
Cortland led 3-0 five innings into the seven-inning game, but Oswego scored twice in the sixth and took the lead with three in the seventh. The Red Dragons had runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the seventh before a double play grounder ended the game.
Cortland scored twice in the second on a Matthew Personius (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) RBI triple and a Budge RBI on a ball that was misplayed in the infield. The lead grew to 3-0 in the third on one-out singles by Paul Dondero (East Islip) and Teague and an error on a two-out fielder's choice that scored Dondero.
Oswego started its two-run sixth with a one-out error and a Dellicarri double. Holton's groundout drove home a run, and pinch hitter Zach Kollar hit an RBI single up the middle to drive in Dellicarri.
The Lakers opened the seventh with a Wes Randall pinch-hit walk. Pinch runner Matthew Deblasio advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Zach Whelan sac bunt, and he scored the tying run when Robert Donnelly's shallow fly to right fell in for an RBI single.
Donnelly went to third on a Hamilton single and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Hamilton eventually stole third and came home on Dellicarri's sac fly. Dellicarri ended 2-for-3 with an RBI and Hamilton was 2-for-4.
Tim Cronin threw a complete game for the Lakers and gave up three unearned runs in seven innings. He allowed seven hits and three walks and fanned two.
Cortland starter Alex Weingarten (East Rockaway/Lynbrook) allowed two hits and no runs with four strikeouts over two and two thirds innings before leaving with an apparent injury. Mike Harrington (Glens Falls) gave up two unearned runs on two hits over three innings. Dondero was 2-for-4 at the plate and Budge went 1-for-2 with a walk and RBI. The teams combined to commit nine errors, including five by Oswego.