AUBURNDALE, FLA. – Cortland spotted 20th-ranked Webster University a 3-0 lead after the top of the first inning before scoring the game's final 10 runs to defeat the Gorloks, 10-3, at the Lake Myrtle Main Field. The nationally fourth-ranked Red Dragons improved to 8-1 with their seventh straight victory. Webster, a Div. III World Series participant along with Cortland last spring, is now 3-5.
Senior Tyler Scott (New Paltz) came in relief of senior John Molloy (Franklin Square/Carey) in the top of the second inning and earned the victory. Scott allowed two hits and one walk and struck out one in three and a third scoreless innings. Junior Brandon Nemeti (Lancaster) gave up only hit and one walk and struck out two over the next two and two-thirds innings. Juniors Matt Holling (Horseheads) and Cody Petre (Silver Springs/Letchworth) each threw one scoreless and hitless inning as the Red Dragons held the Gorloks to six hits just one day after the defeated nationally top-ranked Wheaton (Mass.), 10-1.
Webster scored its three runs in the first, two of them unearned, on a Ryan Hall RBI single, a passed ball and a Brett Buchanan RBI single.
Cortland responded with a Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) two-run single in the first, then took the lead in the third on a Donny Castaldo (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) RBI double and a Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) sacrifice fly.
The Red Dragons added five runs in the fourth to take a 9-3 lead. Senior John Adornetto (Commack) doubled in two runs during the frame and two of the other runs resulted from a wild pickoff throw to second by the catcher. Cortland completed the scoring in the eighth on sophomore Mitch Hollander's (Woodbury/Syosset) pinch-hit RBI double.
Senior Zack Graczyk (Carmel) finished 2-for-3 with a walk to lead the Red Dragons. Nine different players accounted for Cortland's 10 hits in the contest. Rosing was 1-for-2, was hit by a pitch and drove in two runs. Junior P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI.
Ian Foege went 2-for-3 and Ryan Hall was 2-for-4 to lead Webster, while Isaac Behme suffered the loss after allowing five hits and four runs, two earned, in two and a third innings.
Cortland will face Spalding University of Kentucky Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Auburndale.