Hawks Split Doubleheader Against Blue Knights

By Payton Malloy Ellison

FISHKILL — The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team got back on the right track after splitting a Saturday doubleheader at Mount Saint Mary in its first games of the 2022 season played in New York State.

SUNY New Paltz (3-5) lost a tightly contested Game 1 to the Knights, 8-6, but then ended its five game losing streak in Game 2, aided by a five-run seventh inning, 7-3. Both games went an official seven innings at Dutchess Stadium

“Feels good to get back in the win column for sure,” said Hawks coach Thomas Seay. “We played a much better game two than game one and, of course, dominant pitching will do that, but our at bats were better in game two.”

Junior Nick Harvey started game one for the Hawks but did not last long due to injury. He gave up two runs on two hits and two walks before exiting the game after the first.

Despite the shaky start, the Hawks responded immediately in the top of the second, when senior infielder Michael Boccarossa grounded out for the first run and junior catcher Justin Harvey reached on an infield single to plate the tying run.

SUNY New Paltz chipped away at the deficit in the top of the fourth off reliever Brian Gregory when Harvey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. A one-out walk and a single created a runner in scoring position in the fifth, and after a nine-pitch at-bat, junior outfielder Leo Alvarez lined a two-out double into the left field gap to tie the game at four.

Two pitches later, Boccarosa gave SUNY New Paltz its first lead of the day with a single that drove in both baserunners.

However, Trink allowed the first two hitters in the Knights’ half to reach and was relieved by junior James McGovern after a popout. He induced a flyout for the second out, but walked back to back hitters to bring in the tying run, then Barone singled with the bases loaded to score two more.

After Nick Bianchi and graduate student Bobby Ramsey traded perfect innings in the sixth, the Hawks could only muster a leadoff walk off against Knights’ closer Michael DiGiovanni, as Leo Alvarez flied out to end the game, the fifth straight loss for SUNY New Paltz.

Senior Billy Moeller was stellar to begin game two, throwing five perfect innings along with five strikeouts, only matched by Horan’s four no-hit innings for the Knights. The perfect game bid came to a swift end after Knights’ catcher Adam Leone singled on the second pitch of the sixth inning. A RBI triple by Jack Goodwin and an Anthony Franco sacrifice fly suddenly tied the game at two with just an inning left of regulation.

But in the top of the seventh, the Hawks’ bats woke up with a flourish. Back-to-back infield errors, followed by consecutive wild pitches, brought Stalzer home with the go-ahead run, and after Boccarosa grounded out, Alvarez came through again with a one-out triple to score Ristano. Keshner, pinch-hitting for Willie Veras, walked and stole second, the latter allowing Ortiz’s single two pitches later to drive in two runners. Ryan Mackle capped the scoring with a booming double off the top of the left field wall to score the fifth run.

Moeller threw a complete seven innings, as he allowed just four hits, struck out nine, and only walked one batter in the win. Alvarez batted a combined four-for-six in the doubleheader, including two clutch extra base hits, while Boccarossa was responsible for five of the Hawks’ 13 total runs for the day.

SUNY New Paltz returns to the field on March 12 for a road doubleheader at Centenary. The first pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 11 a.m. It is the final road doubleheader for the team before its first home game against New Jersey City at Loren Campbell Field.

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