CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Senior centerfielder Scott Giordano's (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning lifted top-seeded SUNY Cortland to a dramatic 4-3 come-from-behind victory over #4 seed Bridgewater State University in the opening game of the 2022 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament Cortland, New York Regional on Friday at Wallace Field.
The #8 ranked Red Dragons (34-10) advance to the semifinal round of the four-team double elimination regional tournament on Saturday and will take on #2 seed Endicott College at approximately 12:00 PM. The Bears (30-14) will play in an elimination game tomorrow morning at 8:30 against third-seeded St. John Fisher College.
Graduate righthander Matt Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.) tossed seven solid innings for the Bears and did not factor in the decision. Josselyn gave up just one run on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts. He also hit two batters. Bridgewater led 3-1 when Josselyn came out of the game after throwing 114 pitches.
Sophomore righthander Dylan Beers (Woodbury, N.Y.) tossed two scores innings to earn the win in relief for the Red Dragons. Beers (3-1) retired all six batters he faced and fanned three. Senior righty Ryan Flansburg (Queensbury, N.Y.) got the start on the mound for Cortland and allowed two runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings with two walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Cortland rallied from a late 3-0 deficit capped off by Giordano's heroics.
The Bears jumped out to the early 1-0 lead as freshman second baseman Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) walked to lead off the game and advanced to third on a double to the gap in left-centerfield by sophomore right fielder Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.). Sophomore left fielder Joe Frechette (Plymouth, Mass.) then plated Emerson with an RBI ground out.
Senior second baseman Andrew Michalski (Buffalo, N.Y.) was hit by pitch with one out in the bottom the first but was gunned down attempting to steal second. The caught stealing likely cost the Red Dragons a run as Giordano followed with a base hit up the middle. Josselyn then induced a casual fly out to right to end the inning.
Cortland put two runners in scoring position with two outs in the fifth on a hit by pitch, a hit-and-run single and a stolen base. Josselyn, however, got out of the jam with a clutch strikeout.
The Bears tacked on a run in the sixth as Wladkowski dropped a leadoff single into right-center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After an intentional walk to senior designated hitter Jonathan O'Donnell (Hull, Mass.), junior third baseman Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) lined an RBI single through the right side to plate Wladkowski and give the visitors a 2-0 lead. Sophomore catcher Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) followed with a single to load the bases and chase the Cortland starting pitcher. A leaping catch off a line drive from sophomore centerfielder Shane Foley (East Bridgewater, Mass.) turned into an inning ending double play as the Red Dragons escaped without any further damage.
Bridgewater extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the seventh. Senior third baseman Patrick Cashin (Franklin, Mass.) led off the frame with a base hit, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, to third on a fly out and raced home on Wladkowski's RBI single through the right side.
Trailing by three, the Red Dragons rallied to tie the game with a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth.
An RBI double by graduate left fielder Mat Bruno (Rye, N.Y.) in the seventh got Cortland on the board. The Red Dragons also had a runner thrown out at the plate attempting to tag up from third on a shallow fly out to left in the inning.
Cortland tied the game in the eighth with all the damage coming with two outs. A single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases and brought in the BSU closer. Graduate designated hitter Paul Franzese (Somers, N.Y.) then connected for a clutch two-run single through the left side to knot that game at 3-3.
Both teams had an opportunity to score in the ninth. The Bears had a runner cut down at home on an attempted suicide squeeze, while a failed steal of home in the bottom of the ninth sent the game into extra innings.
After Bridgewater went down in order in the top of the tenth, Giordano led off the home half of the inning with the game-winning blast over the right field fence.
Two BSU relievers combined to give up three runs on four hits in two-plus innings of work with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Giordano paced the Cortland ten-hit attack as he went 3-for-5 with the game-winning home run and two runs scored. Franzese (2-4, 2 RBI), Bruno (2-3, 2B, RBI) and senior shortstop Ben Rhodes (Amsterdam, N.Y.) also finished with multiple hits for the Red Dragons. Rhode singled twice in four at bats and stole a base.
Cortland left seven runners on base.
Wladkowski led the BSU offense as he was 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, a run and an RBI. Molis (2-5, RBI), Pigeon (2-4) and Cashin (2-4, R) added two hits apiece for the Bears. Bridgewater banged out 11 hits on the day to go along with a pair of walks, but stranded eight runners.
The Bears were making their first NCAA Tournament appearance in ten years.
Photos Courtesy of Darl Zehr Photography
