NP Hawks Claim Series With Doubleheader Split

By Monica D’Ippolito

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ – The State University of New York at New Paltz concluded its three-game series against Centenary Sunday with a doubleheader split.

The Hawks improved to 4-5 overall after earning a game one, 9-2 victory before falling in the second game 7-1 in five innings, called short due to weather.

James McGovern earned the win after earning the start, pitching 3.2 innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs with one strikeout in 16 batters faced. Xavier Zykoff came in for relief in the fourth, and pitched 3.1 innings, yielding just two hits, no earned runs with two walks and three strikeouts against 14 batters faced.

Nick Harvey and Tommy Kreider each registered two hits in the game. Harvey went 2-for-4 with three runs, while Kreider went 2-for-4 with two runs, a RBI and a walk including a triple and a stolen base to lead the Hawks offensively.

SUNY New Paltz got the offense started in the top of the first as Dillon Ristano ripped a triple that scored Harvey from first after he was let on with a lead-off hit-by-pitch. Anthony Pericolosi platted Ristano after knocking an RBI single to left to bring the lead to 2-0 heading into the bottom half.

Nick Harvey got the offense started once again in the top of the second, recording a one-put base hit before scoring on a RBI triple by Tommy Kreider on the next at-bat. Michael Ascano brought the lead to 4-0 after hitting a single that scored Kreider.

The Cyclones scored a run in the bottom of the fourth, but SUNY New Paltz tacked on a run in the fifth off an RBI single by Joe Richetti that platted Michael Boccarossa. Boccarossa hit a lead-off single to start the inning with the base knock also registering the sixth-year senior’s 100th career hit to reach the triple digit milestone.

The Hawks broke the game open in the sixth with four runs scored in the inning. A bases loaded walk by Ascanio registered a RBI that platted Harvey. Pericolosi hit a sacrifice flyout that brought in Kreidier before Boccarossa registered a RBI on a ground out that scored Ristano. Fabian Apicella capped the stretch as he hit a single to right to bring in Ascanio to make the score 9-2 heading into the bottom of the frame.

Zykoff held on from there to secure the 9-2 win for his team.

SUNY New Paltz struggled in game two and registered just three hits in the game, which came from Ristano, Ascano and Boccarossa with the latter registering his first double of the season.

Dylan Thomasson earned the start and suffered the loss in 2.2 innings of work, giving up five hits, six earned runs with one walk. Boccarossa produced the only offense of the game for the Hawks, as his extra base hit platted Richetti in the top of the fourth.

SUNY New Paltz is back in action this weekend for a doubleheader against SUNY Purchase starting at 11 a.m. on Loren Campbell Memorial Field.