May 16, 2015
Heading Back to Wisconsin!! Cortland Earns World Series Berth With 7-0 Win vs. RPI
AUBURN, N.Y. – Senior Brandon McClain (Coram/Longwood) threw a four-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts and tournament MVP Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk) went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored as nationally top-ranked Cortland defeated RPI, 7-0, to win the NCAA Div. III Baseball New York Regional crown.Â
The Red Dragons (40-4) advance to the NCAA Div. III World Series for the second straight year, the seventh time since 2005, and the 13th time overall. In addition, Cortland reached the 40-win plateau for the seventh time overall and sixth time since 2005.
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Cortland will face the winner of the Central Regional in the opening round of the World Series on Friday, May 22, in Grand Chute, Wis. The Series will feature a new format this year with two four-team, double-elimination pools. The two pool winners will play a best-of-three series for the national title.
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McClain, who also threw a complete game in Cortland's regional-clinching win last year, allowed only two runners to reach second base in his 103-pitch gem and earned a spot on the regional all-tournament team. Bomasuto's two-run homer sparked a four-run sixth inning that put Cortland up 6-0. Bomasuto finished the regional with a .529 batting average (9-for-17) with two homers, six RBI and five runs scored in four games.
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Joining Bomasuto and McClain on the all-tournament team for the Red Dragons were junior outfielder Fabio Ricci (Hawthrone/Westlake) and senior shortstop Anthony Simon (Suffern/Don Bosco Prep (NJ)). Ricci batted .333 with a double, three walks, a hit-by-pitch, a sacrifice, two RBI and two runs scored during the tournament. Simon hit .313 with two doubles, four RBI, a walk, hit-by-pitch, steal and three runs scored.
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Matthew Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) went 2-for-2 with a walk in the title game. Ricci finished 1-for-2 with a double, walk, RBI and run scored and Austin Clock (Niskayuna) went 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
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For RPI (29-17), Jared Jensen was 2-for-4 and Matt Lawrence finished 1-for-3. Stephen Schiavone, normally one of RPI's top relievers, made his first start of the season and allowed five hits and four runs, three earned, in five innings. RPI advanced to the championship round with a 5-4 win over Oberlin earlier Saturday on a sac fly in the bottom of the ninth. The Engineers would have needed two wins over Cortland, one Saturday and one Sunday, to win the regional title.
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Cortland broke a scoreless tie in the fourth when Bomasuto singled, went to second on a groundout and scored on an error. In the fifth, Ricci was hit by a pitch, went to third on a Michalski single and scored on a Justin Teague (Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) double play grounder.
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The four-run sixth began with a Nick Hart (Fredonia) single and Bomasuto's two-run blast over the wall in left. Simon doubled with one out and scored on Clock's single through the left side. A Ricci walk and Michalski hit-by-pitch loaded the bases and Teague drove in a run with a RBI fielder's choice grounder that eventually turned into a strange double play when Ricci was thrown out trying to score from second.
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The Red Dragons closed the scoring in the ninth when Clock reached on an error, stole second, went to third on an error during the steal, and scored on a Ricci double.
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Box Score
Tournament Web Page
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The Red Dragons (40-4) advance to the NCAA Div. III World Series for the second straight year, the seventh time since 2005, and the 13th time overall. In addition, Cortland reached the 40-win plateau for the seventh time overall and sixth time since 2005.
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Cortland will face the winner of the Central Regional in the opening round of the World Series on Friday, May 22, in Grand Chute, Wis. The Series will feature a new format this year with two four-team, double-elimination pools. The two pool winners will play a best-of-three series for the national title.
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McClain, who also threw a complete game in Cortland's regional-clinching win last year, allowed only two runners to reach second base in his 103-pitch gem and earned a spot on the regional all-tournament team. Bomasuto's two-run homer sparked a four-run sixth inning that put Cortland up 6-0. Bomasuto finished the regional with a .529 batting average (9-for-17) with two homers, six RBI and five runs scored in four games.
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Joining Bomasuto and McClain on the all-tournament team for the Red Dragons were junior outfielder Fabio Ricci (Hawthrone/Westlake) and senior shortstop Anthony Simon (Suffern/Don Bosco Prep (NJ)). Ricci batted .333 with a double, three walks, a hit-by-pitch, a sacrifice, two RBI and two runs scored during the tournament. Simon hit .313 with two doubles, four RBI, a walk, hit-by-pitch, steal and three runs scored.
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Matthew Michalski (Buffalo/St. Francis) went 2-for-2 with a walk in the title game. Ricci finished 1-for-2 with a double, walk, RBI and run scored and Austin Clock (Niskayuna) went 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
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For RPI (29-17), Jared Jensen was 2-for-4 and Matt Lawrence finished 1-for-3. Stephen Schiavone, normally one of RPI's top relievers, made his first start of the season and allowed five hits and four runs, three earned, in five innings. RPI advanced to the championship round with a 5-4 win over Oberlin earlier Saturday on a sac fly in the bottom of the ninth. The Engineers would have needed two wins over Cortland, one Saturday and one Sunday, to win the regional title.
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Cortland broke a scoreless tie in the fourth when Bomasuto singled, went to second on a groundout and scored on an error. In the fifth, Ricci was hit by a pitch, went to third on a Michalski single and scored on a Justin Teague (Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) double play grounder.
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The four-run sixth began with a Nick Hart (Fredonia) single and Bomasuto's two-run blast over the wall in left. Simon doubled with one out and scored on Clock's single through the left side. A Ricci walk and Michalski hit-by-pitch loaded the bases and Teague drove in a run with a RBI fielder's choice grounder that eventually turned into a strange double play when Ricci was thrown out trying to score from second.
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The Red Dragons closed the scoring in the ninth when Clock reached on an error, stole second, went to third on an error during the steal, and scored on a Ricci double.
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Box Score
Tournament Web Page
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