Game #6 - State University of New York-Cortland 9, Marietta College 3

 

Zgorzelski, Cortland End Marietta’s Title Run

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Cortland State University’s Mike Zgorzelski was an unlikely hero candidate entering the Red Dragons' elimination contest against defending NCAA Division III Baseball Champion Marietta College (32-17) at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Saturday. Not that Zgorzelski, who entered with a 7-0 record and 3.06 ERA, hadn’t enjoyed a stellar season on the mound but because he was starting in right field due to injuries and had just nine career at-bats at Cortland (41-6).

“Mike is a very good hitter and a solid baseball player and we have known that all along,” said Cortland head coach Joe Brown. “We had hoped to get him more at-bats this season, but due to injuries on the pitching staff, he was too important to us to risk him getting injured playing the field. We didn’t have any doubts about sending him out there today.”

Brown’s confidence paid off on Zgorzelski’s 10th at-bat of the season, when he sent Nate Eschbaugh’s two-strike pitch over the left field wall. The solo homer in the top of the seventh inning, which followed a two-hour rain delay three innings earlier, lifted Cortland to a 4-3 lead it would never relinquish during an eventual 9-3 victory that ended Marietta’s title reign and extended the Red Dragons' season.

“He (Eschbaugh) threw me two curveballs in a row for strikes and I figured a third was coming. I waited on it and hit it hard but didn’t think it was going out. I just tried to hustle out of the box to make sure I had a double if it hit the wall,” said Zgorzelski of his home run.

Cortland got on the board in the top of the first inning when Steve Nickel singled to center field and a seemingly routine throw from the outfield found its way under the gloves of the Marietta pitcher and catcher, allowing Sean Caughey to score from second base. The Pioneers answered with a run in the second inning when Kristian DeJeet singled and came around to score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Dominick Winters.

A heavy stream of rain began to pour in the top of the fourth inning and after Marietta recorded the third out, the game went into a 113-minute rain delay with Cortland leading 2-1.

Both teams’ starting pitchers returned to the mound after the delay, although neither pitched more than six innings.

“I don’t think the rain delay figured into the outcome of the game today,” said Marietta head coach Brian Brewer. “They are a very good team from a good conference and an excellent region. They got the extra-base hits and timely hits and we didn’t. That was the difference in the game.”

Marietta’s second at-bat after the break produced a pair of runs, as center fielder Tony Piconke’s RBI single up the middle allowed Ryan Eschbaugh to score from second base to knot the game at 2-2. Eschbaugh stole second two pitches later and designated hitter Tom Doty singled him home give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead.

Nickel led off the Cortland sixth with a double and after moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, came home to tie the game at 3-3 on a fielder's choice from Dan Maycock. Maycock’s 64th RBI of the season set the stage for Zgorzelski to provide the game-winning run on his long ball the next inning.

“His (Zgorzelski) home run ignited us as an offense. We were pretty tight and a little nervous during the game, but that hit just made the pressure disappear and we just went up their looking to hit,” said Maycock.

Maycock would go on to drive in another run in the ninth inning, as Cortland broke the game open with three runs in the eighth and two in the ninth off seven hits.

Eschbaugh commented on Marietta’s season coming to an end, “It is a tough pill to swallow. We had a great run the past few seasons, but we certainly would have liked to play a few more games this weekend. But it was a great run.”

Cortland will face the loser of the UW-Stevens Point vs. Carthage matchup at noon on Sunday, May 27.

Matt Troha
Midwest Conference Sports Information Director