BOXSCORE CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Fredonia State was unable to overcome a rocky start Friday and lost to No. 4 ranked Cortland, 11-3, on the first day of the double-elimination SUNYAC baseball tournament.

The Blue Devils (18-15) trailed 6-1 after three innings, pulled back within three runs in the top of the fourth, yet were unable to get closer. The Red Dragons (32-9) put the game away with a five-run seventh.

The Blue Devils, who'll meet New Paltz at 10 a.m. Saturday, drew first blood when Jake Nowak (Depew) walked, moved to second on a single by Brian Sheehan (West Seneca), andscored on a single by Dillon Lowe (Pittsford) in the top of the first inning.

The Red Dragons drew even with a run in the last of the first, scored twice in the second, and added three runs in the third, to chase Blue Devil starter Zachary Hugg (Waverly). Three relievers followed Hugg. Thomas Morris (Syosset) allowed three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, Joseph Tingue (South Dayton) pitched a scoreless third of an inning, and Evan Carmello (Fredonia) pitched one scoreless inning.

Offensively, Sheehan and Erik Krohl (Syracuse) had two hits each while Nowak and Kenny Johnston (Buffalo) each had an RBI in a two-run fourth inning. The Blue Devils left 11 runners stranded.

Fredonia State and New Paltz met in a three-game series in mid-April at Ludwig Field with the Hawks winning the first two games, 10-8 and 5-0, and the Blue Devils winning the third game, 7-1.

New Paltz fell to Oswego, 9-5, in Friday's other SUNYAC Tournament game