After heading into extra innings, the Oswego State baseball team (10-6, 3-1 SUNYAC) used a two-run 11th inning to hold on for a 5-4 win, as the Lakers handed No. 1-nationally ranked Cortland (17-5, 6-1 SUNYAC) its first conference loss of the season Thursday, April 4.
The win marked the first win over Cortland since April 14, 2011 and snapped a seven-game Red Dragon winning streak. The win also marked the first career victory for head coach Scott Landers over his alma mater.
Adam Bishop (Sr., Camillus, N.Y.) paced the Lakers with another solid outing, holding the Red Dragons scoreless for the eight innings. Oswego State was unable to give Bishop any run support, failing to score any runs off of Cortland starter Brandon McClain until the ninth inning.
The Lakers took the lead late in the ninth after Mike McMullen (Jr., Syracuse, N.Y.) scored on a single up the middle by Brian Hamilton (So., Liverpool, N.Y.). One batter later, Andrew Lazzaro (Sr., Oswego, N.Y.) delivered a triple to right field scoring Alex Jurczynski (Sr., Schenectady, N.Y.) and Hamilton to push the lead to 3-0.
Helped by an Oswego State error, Cortland evened the score in the bottom half of the inning forcing the game into extra innings. The game remained tied at three until the 11th inning when Jurczynski and McMullen each scored on a Cortland throwing error. The Red Dragons took one run back in the bottom half of the inning off Ryan Donovan(Jr., Utica, N.Y.), but it was not enough as Oswego State escaped with the victory after a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play ended the game.
McMullen went 4-for-5 on the day with two runs scored to lead the Laker offense. On the mound, Bishop pitched 8.1 innings, while surrendering just two runs on three hits and striking out four. Donovan picked up his first victory as a Laker.
Oswego State travels to New Paltz next for a weekend series with the Hawks. The first game starts at 3 p.m. Friday, April 5.
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