KINGS POINT, N.Y. – Anthony Fusco (Yorktown Heights/Yorktown) allowed one run over six innings and Cortland offensively recorded seven hits and 13 walks as the nationally top-ranked Red Dragons defeated host Merchant Marine Academy, 10-1, in a matchup of 2021 NCAA qualifiers. 
 
Cortland improved to 6-1 on the season and will remain on Long Island Saturday for an 11 a.m. doubleheader at St. Joseph's College. Merchant Marine is now 2-2 this spring with the loss. 
 
Fusco earned his first win as a Red Dragon after giving up five hits and no walks with two strikeouts. He recorded 16 of his 18 outs on balls hit on the ground. Patrick Dalton (Bethpage) tossed two perfect innings of relief with two strikeouts and Triston Olmo (Ardsley) retired the side in order with one strikeout in the ninth. 
 
Matthew Krafft (Cornwall) finished 1-for-3 with two walks and two RBI and Antonio Pragana (Hopewell Junction/John Jay) walked twice and scored two runs. Danny Coleman (Saratoga Springs) and James Varian (Hopewell Junction/Trinity-Pawling) each drew three walks, with Varian also adding an RBI single and a hit-by-pitch. 
 
Andrew Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) posted a strange statistical line, driving in four runs without the benefit of a hit. He had an RBI groundout in the first, a sac bunt to score a run in the sixth, a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, and a grounder that drove in a run, even though he reached on an error during the play, in the ninth. 
 
Five Merchant Marine batters recorded one hit apiece, led by Brayden O'Connell's 1-for-3 effort. Garrett Clapsaddle drove in the Mariners' lone run with an RBI groundout in the fourth. Jacob Syversen started for USMMA and allowed six runs, four earned, on six hits and eight walks in six innings. 
 
Cortland took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Pragana reached on an error and moved to second on another error during the play. Krafft followed by reaching on an error on a ball hit to short and Pragana was able to come around to score. Krafft moved to second on a Scott Giordano (Croton-on-Hudson/Croton-Harmon) single and to third on a flyout. Giordano stole second, and when the catcher's throw got away Krafft was able to score. After two walks, Michalski grounded to third to drive in a run. 
 
The Red Dragons were clinging to a 3-1 lead before adding a run in the sixth. Varian was hit by a pitch and Paul Franzese (Somers) singled to put runners on first and third. Michalski's squeeze bunt brought home Varian. Cortland scored twice in the seventh on Varian's RBI single and Michalski's bases-loaded walk, and the Red Dragons broke the game open with four in the ninth on a Nick Chemotti (Warners/West Genesee) RBI double, Michalski's run-scoring grounder to second, a Hunter Holliday (Camden) RBI fielder's choice, and Luke Schartner's (Bayport/Bayport-Blue Point) RBI single to right center.