The Oswego State baseball team used a five-run first inning to defeat #4/5 Cortland by a score of 9-5 on the road Wednesday afternoon. With the win, Oswego moves to 12-5 overall and 3-3 in SUNYAC play. Cortland falls to 19-5 and 8-1 in conference action.
In the first, Dan Saccocio reached on an error, advancing to third, and Scott Buniak followed with a walk. John Rauseo reached on Cortland's second error of the inning, scoring Saccocio. Mike McMullen then doubled to score Buniak and put runners on second and third. A wild pitch would plate Rauseo and advance McMullen to third. A Tim Smith groundout would bring home McMullen for the fourth run. Michael Mascari would draw another walk and be brought home by a Jordan Giller RBI-double to cap the scoring.
Cortland would put together three singles in the second to cut the deficit to 5-1, but strong Oswego pitching from Tim Cronin would keep the margin at four until the bottom of the fourth.
Tyler Baker would lead off the fourth with a single and Saccocio would be hit by a pitch in the next at-bat. Buniak would sacrifice to advance both runners and Rauseo would be intentionally walked to load the bases. Smith singled to bring in Baker and Saccocio to push the lead to 7-1.
Cortland would put another run on the board in the top of the seventh but Oswego had an answer in the bottom half. Smith would start the inning with a single and Eric Hamilton was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat. After a sacrifice by Giller and an intentional walk to Kyle Liner, pinch-hitter Dan Karleski singled to drive in two runs.
Cortland would strike for three runs in the top of the eighth to close the gap to 9-5, but Josh Martin and Cody LaFlamme would combine to secure the win.
Cronin went seven innings, allowing two runs and scattering ten singles, not allowing an extra-base hit, while striking out three to pick up the victory. The starter is now 2-0 on the season.
Smith led Oswego at the dish, going 3-for-5 with three RBI. Six other Lakers had one hit on the afternoon.
The Lakers are back in action this weekend as they travel to Oneonta for a single game at 3 p.m. on Friday then a doubleheader against the Red Dragons the following afternoon starting at 12 p.m.
