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Cortland in NCAA Regional Championship Round With 9-5 Win vs. RPI
May 18, 2008
Press Release posted by Cortland State Permalink
AUBURN, N.Y. – Cortland scored four times in the top of the eight inning to break a 5-5 tie and the top-seeded and nationally second-ranked Red Dragons defeated third-seeded and 18th-ranked RPI, 9-5, to advance to the championship round of the NCAA Division III baseball regional.
Cortland (41-3), winner of 37 straight games, will play Saturday at 5 p.m. versus either RPI or Eastern Connecticut State and needs one victory to advance to the Division III World Series. If Cortland loses Saturday, a winner-take-all championship game will be played Sunday at 1 p.m. RPI (35-11) will play Eastern Connecticut Saturday at 1 p.m.
Junior Khyle Dimino finished 2-for-4, including an RBI single that gave Cortland the lead for good. Senior Matt Vitalone added a two-run single and sophomore Andersen Gardner hit an RBI double to provide the other Cortland runs in the eighth.
RPI's Patrick Reardon finished 4-for-5, including a two-run single in the bottom of the first. Cortland tied the top of the third on a two-run homer by senior Mike Zaccardo, his second home run of the regional.
The Red Dragons added two runs in the fourth on a Steve Nickel RBI groundout and a Joey Russo sacrifice fly. The Red Hawks got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Dan Stroud tripled and scored on a Ken Carroll groundout.
Cortland took a 5-3 lead in the fifth on senior Nick DeVito's RBI single. RPI tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Sean Wilkes was hit by a pitch and went to third on a Jim Devine double. Wilkes scored on a Dan Valentine sacrifice fly and Devine scored on a wild pitch.
A single by Reardon knocked out Cortland starter Travis Ratliff and senior Ryan Hooper (Red Hook) entered and gave up a single before striking out the next two batters. Hooper improved to 4-0 with the victory, allowing four hits and a walk and recording seven strikeouts in four and two-third innings.
Cortland (41-3), winner of 37 straight games, will play Saturday at 5 p.m. versus either RPI or Eastern Connecticut State and needs one victory to advance to the Division III World Series. If Cortland loses Saturday, a winner-take-all championship game will be played Sunday at 1 p.m. RPI (35-11) will play Eastern Connecticut Saturday at 1 p.m.
Junior Khyle Dimino finished 2-for-4, including an RBI single that gave Cortland the lead for good. Senior Matt Vitalone added a two-run single and sophomore Andersen Gardner hit an RBI double to provide the other Cortland runs in the eighth.
RPI's Patrick Reardon finished 4-for-5, including a two-run single in the bottom of the first. Cortland tied the top of the third on a two-run homer by senior Mike Zaccardo, his second home run of the regional.
The Red Dragons added two runs in the fourth on a Steve Nickel RBI groundout and a Joey Russo sacrifice fly. The Red Hawks got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Dan Stroud tripled and scored on a Ken Carroll groundout.
Cortland took a 5-3 lead in the fifth on senior Nick DeVito's RBI single. RPI tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Sean Wilkes was hit by a pitch and went to third on a Jim Devine double. Wilkes scored on a Dan Valentine sacrifice fly and Devine scored on a wild pitch.
A single by Reardon knocked out Cortland starter Travis Ratliff and senior Ryan Hooper (Red Hook) entered and gave up a single before striking out the next two batters. Hooper improved to 4-0 with the victory, allowing four hits and a walk and recording seven strikeouts in four and two-third innings.