Red Dragons Finish Fourth at World Series After 7-6 Loss to St. Thomas
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.
Box Score
NOTEBOOK:
* Cortland has finished in the top four in six of its 11 World Series appearances. The Red Dragons finished second in 2005 and 2010, third in 1997 and 1998 and fourth in 2007 and 2012. Cortland also tied for fifth with a 1-2 record in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
* Cortland’s 41 victories are the fourth-best total in school history. The Red Dragons won 43 games in 2005 and 42 games in both 2007 and 2008. In all, Cortland has won 40 or more games six times.
* Senior reliever Brendan Hourihan set a new school record with his 72nd career pitching appearance. The previous record was 71 games pitched by Chris Fuller from 1996-99.
* Senior second baseman Matt June finished second at Cortland with 227 career hits. The school record is 235 hits by Andrew Mead from 2003-06. June also finished third in career runs scored with 181, one behind second-place Andersen Gardner (182 from 2007-10) and nine behind career leader Mike LaPointe (190 from 1998-2000).
QUOTEBOOK:
Cortland Head Coach Joe Brown:
Another good baseball game. They came out and scored a couple of runs, which probably put us on the defensive a little bit. Then we just felt: hang around, hang around, and we can hit eventually. And we did.
We played a pretty clean game. It was a clean game both ways. I thought it was a good baseball game both ways. They went to their bullpen and brought their horse out, and we competed with it. It was fun.
John Molloy gave us a fine start. We had the concept of Johnny getting us five or six, and then using our entire bullpen. Because we have faith in them. Because we pitch them all year. And they did a good job. And ultimately, as simple as it sounds, they made a couple more plays than we did. It really comes down to that.
(about the team’s seniors)
It’s a challenging thing, coaching in college. Until we have six or seven-year eligibility, we have to say goodbye to these kids.
This senior group – we only have two that were four-year players, Matty (Matt June) and Brendan (Hourihan). The rest were kids that came in and played two years for us, but what a good two years for them. Two regionals, a World Series. Pretty good stuff.
Every single team here is ultra competitive, and you want to win, but these guys (Matt June and junior Andrew Pezzuto, sitting next to Brown at the podium) put in a lot of time. If you had seen this kid (June) in high school – there were not a lot of believers…how can you finish it? diving on an infield single – does it get any better? That’s the essence of championship – playing as hard as you can in your last bat and sliding head first. Giving your team a chance. And him (Pezzuto) coming up and competing. I’ve watched him come back from tremendous physical issues.
Senior second baseman Matt June:
(about his Cortland career)
It’s not an easy question (to answer right now). It’s been the best four years of my life. What else am I supposed to say? The best four years.
