New Paltz Hawks Sweep Oswego, Claim No. 2 Seed

By Ian Kramer

OSWEGO – The State University of New York at New Paltz continued its three game series Saturday, with a SUNYAC doubleheader against SUNY Oswego on the Laker Baseball Field.

The Hawks (26-13 overall) finish their historic season with their first three game sweep and series win of Oswego since 2013. With strong hitting, and a strong bullpen, the Hawks held on to the 7-6 win in Game 1. In game 2, with hitting that was just as reliable and a shutdown arm in Matt Sarni, the Hawks clinched the 8-5 win.

Right-hander James McGovern was on the mound in Game 1, looking for his third and final win of the year. After two two scoreless innings, Oswego broke through with a one out home run in the bottom of the second. McGovern fired back and induced a fly out to Anthony Pericolosi, along with a strikeout looking to end the inning.

In the bottom of the third, the Lakers reached on an error committed by Tommy Kreider at short. McGovern picked up the first out on a line drive back to him. The next batter singled through the left side, extending the Oswego lead to two. A wild pitch allowed the third run of the game to score making it a 3-0 game.

Michael Boccarossa led off the top of the fifth with a lead off walk as the Hawks looked to get on the board. Ristano singled to center, moving Boccarossa into scoring position with no outs. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Justin Harvey hit an RBI groundout to score Boccarossa and put SUNY New Paltz on the board 3-1. Fabian Apicella followed and hit an RBI groundout, scoring Ristano and trimming the deficit to one.

In the bottom of the fifth McGovern retired the first batter on a line out to Pericolosi. The Lakers followed with back-to-back doubles, putting runners on second and third with one out. Right-hander Connor Olson took over in his 15th appearance of the season. In a jam, Olson surrendered a sacrifice fly to right, extending the Oswego lead to 4-2. One more run came across in the inning on an RBI single to left to make it 5-3.

The Hawks added five runs in the top of the sixth starting with Nick Harvey hitting a leadoff double. After Kreider moved Harvey to third on a fly out, Michael Ascanio singled through the right side plating Harvey and cutting the deficit to two. With Pericolosi on second from a double, Boccarossa singled to center to drive him in and cut the deficit to 5-4. With one more base hit for good measure by Ristano, the Lakers went to the bullpen for a new arm.

Justin Harvey greeted him with a two run triple, scoring Ristano and Boccarossa and giving SUNY New Paltz its first lead of the day, 6-5. Apicella added to the lead with an RBI single to center, scoring Harvey and extending the lead to two.

Freshman left-hander Ryan Knieriemen took over in the seventh, in his ninth appearance of the year, and worked two scoreless innings, allowing only a single, and picking up a strikeout. In the bottom of the ninth, Knieriemen retired the first batter on a groundout to Boccarossa at second. Oswego put two on after a single and an error by Apicella. The next batter walked to load the bases and move the tying run to second. Knieriemen buckled down and traded an out for a run on a sacrifice fly, shrinking the lead to one, With one out to go for the series win, Knierieman got the final hitter to pop out to Justin Harvey, securing the victory 7-6.

McGovern was handed his third win of the season after going four and a third innings pitched, allowing seven hits, five runs – only three being earned and no walks with four strikeouts.

Ascanio went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Boccarossa went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Ristano went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Justin Harvey went 1-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Apicella went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Eight out of nine position players recorded at least one hit in the Game 1 win.

Right-hander Liam Ryan was on the mound in Game two, looking for his second and final win of the year. Ryan picked up the first in the bottom of the first on a groundout to Boccarossa. The next batter cracked a solo home run to put the Lakers ahead early with a 1-0 lead. Two runners then reached on a single and a walk. Oswego tried to take third, and Ristano knew that wouldn’t happen under his watch, nabbing the runner at third. A hit by pitch extended the inning, but Ryan was unphased as he retired the final out with a strikeout swinging.

After a 1-2-3 top of the first, the Hawks picked up where they left off in Game 1 with a leadoff single to center by Pericolosi in the top of the second. Boccarossa followed, and lined a base knock to put two on with no one out. Two batters later, Justin Harvey cashed in with an RBI single to right field to score Pericolosi and knot the score at 1-1.

Fabian Apicella led off the top of the fifth, with a single through the left side. Wallace Kirkpatrick stepped up and moved Apicella to second on a groundout back to the pitcher. With two outs, Kreider broke the tie with an RBI single to left, scoring Apicella and giving SUNY New Paltz a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Ryan allowed a hit by pitch and a pinch-hit single. Right-hander Jason Wall took over in his 12th appearance of the year, and was greeted with a single. With the bases loaded, Oswego grounded into an RBI 6-4 fielder’s choice for the first out and evening the score at two. The same play happened again, as another RBI 6-4 fielder’s choice put the Lakers on top 3-2. Wall couldn’t find the third out, and surrendered a RBI triple to extend the Oswego lead to 4-2.

Down 4-2 in the top of the ninth, Nick Harvey looked to start a rally and doubled to center, bringing the tying run to the plate in Kreider. Kreider then moved Harvey 90 feet away from home. Ascanio was plunked with the pitch and the bases were loaded. Oswego went to its bullpen to try and stop the rally. Pericolosi grounded into fielder’s choice, Oswego couldn’t record an out, as Harvey came in to score, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Bases loaded and no outs, Boccarossa delivered a two-run single down the right field line, plating Ascanio and Kreider, and knotting the score at four. Ristano was hit by the pitch to keep the bases loaded. With the go-ahead run 90 feet away, Justin Harvey got the job done, grounding into an RBI 4-6 fielder’s choice, giving the Hawks a 5-4 lead in the ninth. An error by the pitcher and a sacrifice fly to center, extended the lead to 7-4.

Right-hander Matt Sarni took over in the bottom of the ninth, looking to record his sixth save of the year. Sarni set down the first batter on a groundout to Apicella at third. The Lakers stayed alive on a single to right field. Sarni dialed in and picked up the second out of the inning on a strikeout swinging. Oswego was hanging on, reaching base on back-to-back singles to left, driving in an RBI to make it 7-5. Bases loaded, and two outs, Sarni stopped the chance of the lead slipping away, setting down the final out of the game on a strikeout swinging, as the Hawks secured the doubleheader sweep and game 2 victory 7-5.

He recorded his sixth save of the season, which is a new single season program record.
Ryan was handed his second win of the season after going five innings allowing three hits, four runs, all of which were earned, three walks with five strikeouts.

Nick Harvey went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Kreider went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Pericolosi went 1-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Boccarossa went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Justin Harvey went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Apicella went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Eight out of nine position players recorded at least one hit in the Game 2 win.

The Hawks clinched the No. 2 spot in the SUNYAC division, the highest in the program since being No. 3 in 2021. They will face No. 3 SUNY Oswego in a double elimination tournament in Cortland, starting Thursday at 3:30 p.m on Robert H. Wallace ‘53 Field.