AUBURNDALE, FLA. – Ben Moxley (Oneonta) allowed six hits and two runs in five and two thirds innings for his second win of the season as nationally top-ranked Cortland defeated Clarkson, 5-3, at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.
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Cortland will close its Florida trip with three SUNYAC games against New Paltz Friday and Saturday. The original schedule has been adjusted and the teams will now play two games Friday in Winter Haven (9 a.m. at Chain of Lakes Stadium for Game 1, then Lake Region High School for Game 2) and one game Saturday at 10 a.m. in Leesburg.
Fabio Ricci went 2-for-4, including an RBI double that gave Cortland a 4-2 lead in the fifth (Photo credit: Darl Zehr Photography)
Moxley struck out three and walked two and is now 2-0 on the season for Cortland (13-1). Nick Di Benedetto (Nanuet) gave up three hits, one walk and one run and fanned one in two and a third innings of relief, and Turner Parry (Syracuse/West Genesee) pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save. Parry permitted one hit and struck out one.
Clarkson starter Ian Castle went five innings and gave up four runs, one earned. He gave up five hits, walked five and fanned four. Joe Rooney followed with three innings of two-hit ball with one run allowed and two strikeouts.
Fabio Ricci (Hawthorne/Westlake) finished 2-for-4 with a double and RBI and Paul Dondero (East Islip) was 2-for-4. Austin Clock (Niskayuna) hit a solo homer, his third round-tripper of the season, and Nick Hart (Fredonia) was 1-for-3 with a double.
Anthony Padrazo went 3-for-5 with an RBI to lead Clarkson (2-7). Dom Pirro was 2-for-4 and Brad Pearson went 2-for-5.
Cortland scored in the third when Dondero singled and eventually scored on an error. Clarkson tied the game in the top of the fourth on a Connor Martin RBI single, but the Red Dragons answered in the bottom of the inning on a two-out error that allowed two runs to come in.
The Golden Knights drew within 3-2 in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Padrazo and Chris Miller. Cortland again answered quickly in the bottom of the fifth with a Ricci RBI double. In the eighth, Clarkson pulled within 4-3 on a Padrazo RBI single, but Clock hit his solo homer in the bottom of the frame. Parry allowed a two-out single in the ninth before striking out the game's final batter.
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