OSWEGO N.Y. — The biggest and most anticipated series of the season finally came for the Lakers. The #5 ranked Cortland Red Dragons travelled up 1-81 to take on the Lakers at the Laker Baseball Stadium. The three game set started with game one Friday afternoon, and games two and three Saturday. 

Game one started fast, with the Red Dragons finding the scoreboard in the top off the first inning. A lead off single, was then moved to second on a sac bunt. The runner would score on an ensuing single, and the Red Dragons took an early 1-0 lead. In the top of the third the Red Dragons struck again. A lead off double would move to third on a pass ball in the next at bat. After a foul out, a fly out to center would be deep enough to score the runner and Cortland took a 2-0 lead. It was the bottom of the third when the Lakers finally struck. Paul Tammaro led off with a triple. Ryan Enos‘s double drove him home for the Lakers first run. After a strike out, Lukas Olsson hit a two run home-run to give the Lakers a 3-2 lead. After a scoreless fourth and fifth, the Red Dragons found the scoreboard again in the sixth. They crossed the plate three times, but the Lakers weren’t letting them keep it for long. A Ryan Weiss lead off homer got the scoring starting in the bottom of the sixth. Julian Drew then got hit by a pitch. Two groundouts moved Drew to third and he was brought home by a wild pitch. After a walk and a bunt single, Ryan Enos drove home the sixth run on a single to center. Cortland tied it a six in the top of the seventh. It took until the top of the tenth for any runs to be scored. A lead off single moved to second on a sac bunt. A double drove him home, and Cortland grabbed a 7-6 lead. In the top of the tenth, Frank Levanti reached on an error to start the inning. Paul Tammaro moved him to second on a sac bunt. A Ryan Enos walk put runners on first and second. Kyle Lauria grounded into a fielder’s choice putting runners at first and third for Lukas Olsson. Olsson walked it off with a three run bomb, Oswego winning 9-7. Paul Tammaro and Lukas Olsson led the team with three hits each. Olsson also led the team with 5 RBIs. Jacob Sanders got the start for the Lakers, throwing 5 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks, striking out three.

Game two of the series started just like the first, Cortland finding the scoreboard first. The first two batter of the inning would groundout, but three two-out singles brought home the first run of the game. Oswego answered right away. The first three batters for Oswego reached, loading the bases. A Lukas Olsson single brought home the first run for the Lakers, and the next at bat Ryan Weiss would clear the bases with a grand slam giving the Lakers a 5-1 lead after one. Cortland fought back in the second. The lead-off hitter reached on an error, and a home run in the next at bat brought the lead down to 5-3. In the bottom of the second, the first two batters would reach for Oswego. A Kyle Lauria single brought home the sixth run for the Lakers. After Lukas Olsson was intentionally walked, a passed ball brought home the seventh run. A few batters later, another passed ball brought home the final run if the inning for the Lakers. Cortland kept the pressure up in the third. A one-out grand slam brought the deficit down to 8-7. After all the fireworks of the first few frames, no runs were scored after the top of the third, and the Lakers won the seven inning game one of the double header. Paul Tammaro led the Lakers in hits, going 4-4 and scoring two runs. Ryan Weiss‘s four RBIs were enough to lead the Lakers. Kyle Finnegan got the start for Oswego, going 5.1 innings. He allowed eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits and two walks, striking out two. He was relieved by Ben Wilcox who pitched the final 1.2 innings allowing one hit and striking out three.

The final game of the series had the Lakers looking for their brooms going for the sweep. Unlike the previous two games, the first run wasn’t scored until the bottom of the fifth inning. Tim Shinto was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He would score in the next at bat on a series of errors by Cortland. Two consecutive walks would load the bases for Kyle Lauria who would also walk, to bringing home the second run. Lukas Olsson would follow the third consecutive walk with a grand slam, giving the Lakers a 6-0 lead. Cortland found their stride in the top of the sixth, bringing home four runs. Oswego scored two in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 8-4. A scoreless seventh and eight led to the top of the ninth. A lead-off walk was followed by a two run homer, bringing the lead down to 8-6. Three straight walks, loaded the bases, and a wild pitch brought home the seventh run, with still no outs. Another walk reloaded the bases, before the Lakers finally got the first out on a strike out. A passed ball allowed the another runner to score, tying the game. A another strike out, was followed by a single, bringing home two, and Cortland took the lead 10-8. Oswego got two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn’t get them across the plate, and the late rally by Cortland getting them the win and avoiding a sweep. Three Lakers tied for the lead in hits with 2. Lukas Olsson led the way with six RBIs. Anthony Van Fossen got the start on the mound for Oswego. He pitched 5.2 innings, allowing four runs, all earned, on seven hits and no walks, striking out three.

The Lakers are now 24-8 (13-2 SUNYAC). Oswego has four games left this season, a mid-week matchup with #20 St. John Fisher at home, and final three game set with the Fredonia Blue Devils in Fredonia next weekend. As of May 3, the Lakers climbed up to #14 in the country, and Cortland fell to #13 after the losses to the Lakers.

IMAGE COURTESY OF OSWEGO ATHLETICS