NEWARK, N.Y. – Mark Palumbo (Morristown, NJ) allowed two runs over seven innings and Chris Jackson (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) hit a two-run triple in the sixth for what proved to be the winning runs as Cortland held on to defeat Amherst, 3-2, in the winner's bracket final of the NCAA Div. III New York Regional.

Cortland (34-8), ranked fifth nationally and the top seed at the regional, advances to the championship round Sunday at 5 p.m. and will face an opponent to be determined. The Red Dragons need a win either Sunday or Monday to capture the regional and advance to the NCAA Div. III World Series.Farmingdale State and Kean are playing in Saturday's final game. The winner of that game will play Amherst Sunday at 1 p.m., and that winner will face Cortland in the championship round needing to beat the Red Dragons twice.

Palumbo, now 7-0 on the season, scattered eight hits and two walks and struck out four. Steven Kimmelman (Riverhead) retired all six batters he faced over the final two innings for his second save of the regional and third of the spring.

Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk) led off with a single, went to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a Tim Panetta (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane) sac bunt and scored on a Mark DeMilio (Valhalla) two-out infield single.

With two outs in the sixth, P.J. Rinaldi (Bethel, CT) walked and Max Rosing (Rockville Centre/South Side) singled to left center. Jackson then entered as a pinch hitter and ripped a triple down the first-base line to score both runners and give Cortland a 3-0 lead.

Amherst (30-10) left runners on second and third in the second inning, a runner on third in the third inning and runners on second in the fourth and fifth frames. The Lord Jeffs broke through off Palumbo in the seventh. After two strikeouts, Brendon Hardin singled and stole second. Taiki Kasuga walked and Alex Hero hit an RBI double to score Hardin and move Kasuga to third. Mike Odenwaelder beat out a grounder to short to drive in a run. With runners on second and third after a steal, Palumbo got out of the jam by inducing a flyout to right.

Rosing finished 2-for-3, DeMilio was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Rinaldi went 1-for-2 with two walks for Cortland.

For Amherst, Hardin was 2-for-3 with a walk and Conner Gunn went 2-for-4. Dylan Driscoll started for the Lord Jeffs and allowed seven hits, two walks and three runs in six and a third innings. He struck out one.

Box Score

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