Courtesy Ithaca/Trinity Sports Information

AUBURN, N.Y. - The fifth-seeded Trinity Bantams took advantage of five Cortland St. errors - including two on the game's final play - to beat the top-seeded Red Dragons 2-1 in 13 innings Thursday in the NCAA New York Regional at Auburn. With the win Trinity advances to face Ithaca Friday at noon with a trip to the regional final on the line. Cortland will play the St. John Fisher/Skidmore winner in an elimination game Friday at 3:30 p.m.

The winning run scored with two outs in the 13th; Junior shortstop Thomas DiBenedetto (Fort Myers, Fla.) reached on a one-out bunt single and advanced to second on a groundout. Freshman first baseman Kent Graham (Longmeadow, Mass.) - who had struck out in all five of his previous at-bats - was hit by a pitch, but was ruled to not have avoided the pitch. One pitch later he hit a ground ball that the third baseman mishandled; Cortland's shortstop picked up the ball and threw it over the first baseman's head, allowing DiBenedetto to score.

After six scoreless innings Cortland scored its only run in the top of the seventh. Junior left fielder Anthony Coromato (Utica, N.Y.) reached on a one-out infield single, stole second and scored on a two-out hit by senior right fielder Dan Maycock (Utica, N.Y.) that Trinity's second baseman deflected while diving but could not field.

The Bantams tied the game in the eighth, starting the rally with a leadoff single by senior designated hitter Ben Silvanic (Granby, Conn.). A two-strike sacrifice bunt by junior 3B Guy Gogliettino (Wallingford, Conn.) and a wild pitch moved freshman pinch-runner Matt Sullivan (North Reading, Mass.) to third. He scored on an infield hit by freshman right fielder James Wood (Windham,N.H.); Wood grounded the ball between first and second and beat Cortland's pitcher to first to tie the game.

"It was an outstanding effort on the mound by both teams.  This game had the highest intensity level of any that I've coached in my 18 years," said Trinity head coach Bill Decker.  "Hopefully we can take that energy into tomorrow's game in support of out captain on the mound (starting RHP Jon Rappaport)."

Neither starting pitcher - Trinity junior Tim Kiely (Swampscott, Mass.) and Cortland senior Jimmy Dougher (Liverpool, N.Y.) - figured in the decision, despite combining for 19 strikeouts in 21.1 innings while allowing just nine hits and no walks.

Junior Michael Regan (West Roxbury, Mass.) earned the win with three innings of three-hit relief. He struck out four of the 11 batters he faced.

Coromato and Silvanic were the only players in the game to collect more than one hit.