Cortland Defeats W&J, 9-2, in NCAA Opener; Misla Sets School Single-Season Strikeout Mark
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Cortland Sports Information Department
CORTLAND, N.Y. – Luis Misla (Tampa, FL/Riverview) allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings and struck out 11 batters to set a Cortland single-season record as the second-seeded Red Dragons defeated third-seeded Washington and Jefferson, 9-2, during the opening day of the NCAA Division III Cortland, N.Y., Baseball Regional at Wallace Field.
Cortland (31-12-1) will face top-seeded Salve Regina in a winner's bracket game Saturday at noon. The Seahawks (34-8) defeated fourth-seeded Colby, 10-5, in Friday's opening game. W&J (32-13) will play Colby in an elimination game Saturday at 8:30 a.m. The third game on Saturday will feature the two remaining one-loss teams.
Cortland is making its 31st straight NCAA tournament appearance - a Division III record and the longest active streak among all NCAA levels. The Red Dragons have won at least one game in all of those 31 tournaments.
Misla, now 8-2, extended his season strikeout total to 114, breaking the previous school record of 109 strikeouts by Mike Howell in 2001. Greg Mays (Troy/Tamarac) and Liam Krasney (Greenville) each pitched an inning of hitless and scoreless relief, with Mays fanning two batters and Krasney one. Cortland pitchers combined to strike out 14 batters.
The Presidents struck first with two runs in the top of the third. Brendan Cruz led off with a walk and was bunted to second by Ben Schuler. Jacob LaDuca's single advanced Cruz to third and, with two outs, a wild pitch allowed Cruz to score. Nolan Lutz followed with a single to left and LaDuca scored from second, just eluding a tag at home after a Cortland relay. W&J, however, only had one runner reach scoring position over the final six innings.
W&J starter Anthony Pass shut down Cortland for the first four innings. In the fifth, however, Zachary Kringdon (Larchmont/Mamaroneck) hit a one-out double, Adam Mieczkowski (Vestal) was hit by a pitch and Nick Marola (Saratoga/Scotia-Glenville) singled to deep right on a play where Cortland's runners initially had to hold thinking the ball might be caught near the fence. Chris Bonacci (Syracuse/West Genesee) hit a three-run triple to right center to give Cortland the lead and Mat Bruno (Rye) singled to left to drive in Bonacci and make it 4-2.
The Red Dragons added four more runs in the sixth on a Marola two-run single and, two batters later, a Bruno two-run homer to left center. Cortland scored its last run in the seventh when Kringdon walked with two outs, pinch runner Jon Munoz (Yorktown Heights/Yorktown) stole second and an error during the next at-bat allowed the run to score.
Nolan Smith (Hamburg) finished 3-for-4 with a walk to lead Cortland's 11-hit attack. Marola was 2-for-4 with two RBI, Luke Schartner (Bayport/Bayport-Blue Point) was 2-for-4, Bruno finished 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI and Bonacci drove in three runs and scored twice.
Drew Garth was 2-for-4 for W&J. Pass allowed six runs on seven hits in five and a third innings. He struck out two and walked one.
