Auburn, NY: The #1 SUNY Cortland baseball team defeated #2 Ramapo College 13-4 today in game seven of the 2016 NCAA New York Regional. The Red Dragons (40-5) move onto Championship Saturday when the Roadrunners (35-11-1) will take on the winner of Susquehanna and Castleton at 6pm.
The Red Dragons continued their win streak of 19 straight while they snapped Ramapo's four-game win streak. Cortland pounded out 20 hits in the game including six doubles and one home run. They got on the board with a solo homerun in the first inning from Steven Figueroa for a quick 1-0 lead. They added another run in the top of the third inning when Figueroa drove home a run with an RBI groundout 2-0.
Ramapo was able to plate three runs in the bottom of the third taking a 3-2 lead.
Ryan Rinsky and
Rob DeAngelis each singled to start the inning before they moved up one base on a
Matt Chemis sac bunt. The Red Dragons pitched around NJAC Player of the Year
Joe Venturino who drew a walk to load the bases for
Brandon Martinez. Martinez responded with a hard hit single back up the middle allowing two runs to come around and score, tying the game 2-2. Following the second out of the inning,
Scott Paulus drove a single through the right side of the infield plating Venturino with the go ahead run.
Cortland would take the lead back in the fifth with two runs. Austin Clock doubled home Fabio Ricci while Conrad Ziemendorf drove home Clock to take a 4-3 lead with a single up the middle. In the sixth, the Red Dragons extended their lead with four runs on four hits for an 8-3 score. Cortland added five more runs onto their lead in the ninth inning 13-3. The Roadrunners got one back in the bottom half of the inning.
Jared Ensmenger ripped a pinch-hit double down the left field line and later scored when Venturino got caught in a run down between first and second 13-4.
Jeff Cooke (7-1) struck out nine, walked three and scattered ten hits in the win for Cortland.
Eli Garcia (3-2) took the loss for Ramapo. He worked 4.1 innings, striking out two and walking one while surrendering eight hits.
