The second-seeded Oswego State baseball team knocked off the tournament and nation's top team, Cortland, 3-1 in the opening game of the final round of the SUNYAC Championship, forcing a decisive game seven. In the championship game, Oswego was unable to stun the Red Dragons, eventually falling 10-3.
Oswego's victory in the first game was its 27th of the year, tying the single-season program record, which was set by the 2013 squad. The win also snapped Cortland's 17-game winning streak and handed the Red Dragons just their third loss of the season.
The Lakers are now 27-11 on the year and will play next at 3 p.m. on Tuesday at home against Clarkson University. Cortland goes to 36-3 on the year the game seven win.
GAME ONE – OSWEGO 3, CORTLAND 1:
Tim Cronin had an outstanding game to aid in the Laker upset of No. 1 Cortland. The sophomore and last year's SUNYAC Rookie of the Year threw a complete-game, six hitter. He allowed just one run, which was earned, while striking out two batters to move to 3-1 during the 2015 campaign.
In the fourth inning, Myles Kutscher, Jordan Giller, John Rauseo and Wes Randall strung together four-straight singles. Kutscher was picked off in the inning but a Cortland wild pitch allowed Rauseo to score, giving the Lakers a 1-0 advantage.
Later in the game, Kutscher drew a one-out walk and then advanced on a throwing error during a failed pick-off attempt. After a Giller ground out pushed the sophomore to third, Kutscher capitalized on another Red Dragon wild pitch, scoring to make it 2-0 Oswego in the eighth. That run proved to be the game-winner as Cortland got its only run of the game in the bottom of the frame.
The Lakers' last run came in the ninth, starting with a leadoff walk by Wed Randall. Randall then stole second and was sacrificed over to third by a Robert Donnelly bunt. With two strikes on the board, Kyle Simmons slapped a single back up the middle to score the freshman from third.
Randall finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a walk and a run scored. Also attaining a multiple-hit game was Brian Hamilton, going 2-for-5.
GAME TWO – CORTLAND 10, OSWEGO 3:
Rauseo was the only Laker to have multiple hits in the second game, going 4-for-4 with a homerun. Dan Saccocio and Kyle Simmons were both 1-for-3 with an RBI. Simmons also finished with a run scored.
On the mound, Charles Arcuri took the loss to fall to 3-2 on the year. John-Michael Guarino gave up just three earned runs during four innings of work while striking out five batters. Andy Stuart threw 2.2 innings of four-hit baseball while Dylan Kohlman needed just one pitch to get the final out of the eighth inning.
2015 SUNYAC Baseball Championship All-Tournament Team
Mark DeMilio – Cortland – MVP
Jordan Giller – Oswego
John Rauseo – Oswego
Tim Cronin – Oswego
Wes Randall – Oswego
Austin Clock – Cortland
Nick Hart – Cortland
Patrick Schetter – Cortland
Brandon Serio – Cortland
Seth Lamando – Cortland
Wesley Burghardt – Brockport
