Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team (2-0) opened its 2011 season in grand fashion, knocking off SUNY College at Old Westbury (1-4) twice in a non-conference doubleheader by scores of 4-1 and 8-0 Saturday afternoon at the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.

Only seven innings were contested in both games of the twinbill. 

Game one saw sophomore pitcher Michael Pinnola (North Babylon, N.Y.) pitch a complete-game gem in which he yielded just one run and scattered six hits while striking out six.

After a scoreless first, New Paltz rallied for a run in the top of the second. Sophomore right fielder Thomas Pinnola (North Babylon, N.Y.) and junior third baseman Mike Marash (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) had back-to-back singles, and junior second baseman Chris Paulicelli's (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) fielder's choice resulted in Pinnola moving to third, although Marash was out at second in the process. Paulicelli stole second, and a costly error by the catcher allowed Pinnola to score. Old Westbury ended the inning by forcing a strikeout and a fly out.

Through three innings of play, the Panthers had just one hit. However, they finally reached the scoreboard in the fourth, collecting three hits and plating their first run. Old Westbury tied the ballgame at 1-all when Benjamin Farias plated Melvin Simmons.

The Hawk bats exploded in the sixth, accounting for three runs and four hits, which ultimately proved to be the difference. Marash singled down the left-field line, and Paulicelli moved him over on a groundout to the first baseman. Sophomore first baseman Steve Pinckney (Montgomery, N.Y.) boasted a base knock, and sophomore catcher Matt Kaldon (Montgomery, N.Y.) blasted an RBI double to plate Marash. With Kaldon on second and Pinckney on third, sophomore center fielder Phil Riccio (Bristol, Conn.) laced a single to center field, which brought in both runners. Marvin Rosario then came in to close out the inning on the hill for the Panthers, preventing New Paltz from doing any more damage.

Old Westbury was held scoreless down the stretch, and the Hawks claimed their season opener by a 4-1 final.

Riccio led the New Paltz attack, going 3-for-4 at the dish in game one with two RBI and a double, while Marash and Paulicelli batted 2-for-3 and 2-for-4, respectively.

On the mound for Old Westbury in game one, Corey Murphy sustained the loss, giving up four runs—three of which were earned—on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. Rosario surrendered just one hit and struck out three in 1 2/3 frames of relief action.

Game two featured both a virtuoso performance by the Hawk hurlers and a woeful outing by the Panther defense. Old Westbury committed six errors in the nightcap, which led to six unearned runs.

Three errors in the first helped New Paltz jump out to an early 2-0 lead, as freshman left fielder Jimmy Briggs (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) drove in a run and later scored off of an error by the catcher. A costly miscue by the Panther shortstop in the second allowed four runs to cross in the inning that would not have come across otherwise. After what should have been the third out, freshman shortstop Andrew Grann (Oceanside, N.Y.) laced a two-RBI double down the left-field line, and junior designated hitter Jake Cameron's (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) triple brought in a third runner in the ensuing at-bat. Cameron then came around to score on a wild pitch, which pushed the tally to 6-0 in favor of New Paltz.

The Hawks pushed across their final two runs of the day in the fifth when junior right fielder Mike Sherlock (Liverpool, N.Y.) and freshman catcher David Lostaglio (Milton, N.Y.) each scored off of an error by the shortstop.

Sophomore pitcher Chris Chismar (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) picked up the victory, working six full innings on the bump for the blue and orange. He struck out nine on the afternoon, yielding just one walk and four hits while holding the Old Westbury lineup scoreless. Junior pitcher Nick Monaco (Medford, N.Y.) closed out the game, striking out one.

Chris Sanabria was charged with his second loss of the year, fanning two in three innings of duty. He gave up six runs on seven hits and walked two batters. Steven Chapter, Ranser Reyes and Kevin Briffa threw the final four innings in relief and held the Hawks hitless.

For New Paltz, Cameron and sophomore third baseman Matt Prescia (Oakdale, N.Y.) each picked up two hits on the game, while Grann drove in two runs.

Old Westbury had four guys who notched a hit in the back end of the doubleheader, with Farias' being the lone extra-base knock of the tilt for the Panthers.

The Hawks return to the diamond tomorrow, traveling to Purchase, N.Y., to face SUNY Purchase at noon in a non-conference doubleheader.