GRAND CHUTE, WIS. – Cortland’s rally in the top of the ninth fell a run short and the Red Dragons lost to the University of St. Thomas (Minn.), 7-6, in an elimination game at the NCAA Div. III Baseball World Series at Fox Cities Stadium.
The Red Dragons finished 2-2 at the Series and finished fourth nationally at the eight-team tournament. Cortland completes the season with a 41-9-1 record for the sixth 40-win campaign in school history.
St. Thomas will play Marietta College Wednesday in an elimination game, with the winner to face Wheaton College (Mass.) in a winner-take-all game for the national title.
Cortland trailed 7-4 entering the ninth. Senior Matt June (Colonie) led off with an infield single to first as he dove in to the bag safely. Junior Andrew Pezzuto (Hastings) walked and junior John Adornetto (Commack) singled through the right side to score June and move Pezzuto to third. Sophomore Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) then hit a ball toward the hole at shortstop. St. Thomas’ Jon Kinsel made a nice play to his right and started a 6-4-3 double play as Pezzuto scored. The Tommies recorded a strikeout to end the rally and the game.
St. Thomas scored single runs in the first two innings to take an early 2-0 lead. In the first, Jack Hogan led off with a double, tagged to third on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch. In the second, Dan Reichert singled with two outs, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Sam Miller RBI single.
Cortland failed to score over the first four innings despite putting runners on base in each inning. In the top of the fifth, however, sophomore Chris Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) led off with a double off the wall in straightaway center field and junior Bryan Mistretta (Commack) singled him to third. June walked to load the bases and Pezzuto followed by hitting a ball up the middle. The Tommies made a nice play to get a force at second, but Jackson scored on the play. With two outs, Rosing hit a two-run triple to right center and junior Michael LaTempa (LaGrangeville/Arlington) hit an RBI triple off the left field fence to put the Red Dragons up 4-2.
The Tommies responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. Tim Kuzniar and Charles Bruchu hit one-out singles to put runners on first and third and Dylan Thomas drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center. Bruchu stole second and scored on Nick Reichert’s RBI double down the left field line.
St. Thomas took a 6-4 lead in the sixth on a Hogan sacrifice fly and a Kuzniar two-out RBI double. The Tommies then scored what proved to be a vital insurance run in the eighth to take a 7-4 lead. Kinsel led off with a single, moved to second on a Hogan single, went to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on another fielder’s choice.
Junior John Molloy (Franklin Square/Carey) started for Cortland and pitched five and a third innings. He allowed nine hits, one walk and six runs and did not strike out any batters. He finishes the year with a 4-1 record. Pezzuto finished 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored and June went 2-for-4 with a walk and run scored.
Mark Dominik started for St. Thomas and is now 3-0. He gave up eight hits and four runs in six innings. He walked three and struck out three. Steve Maher, normally the top starting pitcher for the Tommies, entered in the eighth inning with two outs and a runner on first. He earned his second save of the season despite giving up two hits, two walks and two runs.
At the plate, Hogan led the Tommies with a 3-for-4 effort. Dan Reichert was 2-for-3 with a walk, Kinsel finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Kuzniar was 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored.
Courtesy: SUNY Cortland Athletics
