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

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team (15-12, 6-5 SUNYAC) stretched its win streak to five on Sunday afternoon at Loren Campbell Memorial Field, taking two in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader against SUNY Oswego (11-14, 1-11 SUNYAC). The Hawks survived in game one by an 8-7 final before winning game two, 5-2.

With the victory, New Paltz swept the three-game series from Oswego. The Hawks won, 6-1, yesterday afternoon in a single nine-inning game. During the series Oswego never led.

In the front half of the doubleheader, which was seven innings in duration, New Paltz saw a six-run lead nearly evaporate, and a two-run sixth ultimately gave the Hawks the margin of victory.

With two men on in the bottom of the first, junior first baseman Jake Cameron (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) ripped a three-run home run to left field, giving the Hawks a 3-0 lead. Freshman left fielder Jimmy Briggs (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) plated sophomore designated hitter Matt Prescia (Oakdale, N.Y.) later on in the inning off a sacrifice fly before junior second baseman Chris Paulicelli (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) brought in freshman catcher David Lostaglio (Milton, N.Y.) with a single up the middle to make the score 5-0.

After the first inning, Oswego pulled its starter, Dan Erne, who gave up five runs on four hits and two walks.

The Hawks took a 6-0 lead in the third when Paulicelli scored Prescia, but Marc Peterson, who came in to relieve Erne, got out of a bases-loaded jam and kept New Paltz from adding to its tally.

Dan Maloney drove in Rafael Cordero in the fifth to put Oswego on the board, and Tom Curry brought in Mike Stark with a sacrifice fly in the ensuing at-bat to make the score 6-2. After a passed ball, sophomore pitcher Chris Chismar (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) escaped with a fly out to right.

Cordero's two-run double down the right-field line in the sixth bolstered a three-run inning for the Lakers, as they drew within one run at 6-5. New Paltz gained some breathing room in the eighth with back-to-back RBI singles from Cameron and junior designated hitter Billy Ruggiero (East Northport, N.Y.), but Oswego took two back in the top half of the seventh. The Lakers scored twice to pull within one, and with runners on the corners, Scott Buniak grounded out to the pitcher to end the game.

Chismar worked five innings and picked up the win, scattering five hits and allowing two runs—one of which was earned—while striking out eight. Freshman pitcher James McKenna (Bohemia, N.Y.) faced four batters in the sixth and was unable to record an out before junior pitcher Nick Monaco (Medford, N.Y.) took over and surrendered two runs off one hit, one walk, two hit by pitches and a balk. Monaco was credited with the save.

Erne drew the loss, while Peterson threw the final five innings for the Lakers and cooled the Hawk bats, yielding five runs off four hits and three walks. He also struck out five.

Offensively, Cameron led the way for the Hawks, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and one run scored. Paulicelli batted 2-for-3 with two RBI, while sophomore center fielder Phil Riccio (Bristol, Conn.) was 2-for-3 with one run scored. Kris Prikazsky (2-for-3) and Cordero (2-for-4) each had multi-hit games for the Lakers.

The nightcap featured a pitching duel, as both teams' offenses cooled down from game one. New Paltz broke into Oswego's starting pitcher in the final three innings, tapping him for six of the 12 hits that he surrendered on the afternoon.

Senior second baseman Dylan Franco (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) worked a 3-2 count in the third and took the seventh pitch of the at-bat up the middle, pushing across Riccio to open scoring. The Hawks added to their tally in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run by Briggs to left center, but the Lakers made it a one-run game in the fifth when Matt Miller gained an RBI for drawing a bases-loaded walk.

In the sixth, Ruggiero was the third consecutive Hawk batter to hit a single, plating Briggs. The Lakers, however, came within one once more in the eighth, as a wild pitch allowed Pat Brown to score.

Riccio added some insurance to New Paltz's cause in the eighth, swatting a two-run homer to left. Oswego put a man on with a walk in the top of the ninth with one out, but a 6-4-3 double play ended all hopes for a Laker comeback.

Jon Stevens threw a complete game for Oswego, hurling 128 pitches in the loss. He scattered 12 hits and permitted five runs while striking out five.

Sophomore pitcher Michael Pinnola (North Babylon, N.Y.) gained the win on the hill for New Paltz, lasting seven innings. He yielded two runs off three hits, seven walks and one hit by pitch, but he also pounded the zone with a game-high 10 strikeouts. Senior pitcher Brett Harrison (Merrick, N.Y.) took over and tossed a hitless and scoreless eighth before freshman pitcher Mike Pastorino (Stormville, N.Y.) earned the save by holding the Lakers both hitless and scoreless in the ninth.

Riccio enjoyed a prolific performance offensively, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Briggs and Ruggiero each had multi-hit performances, as each went 2-for-4. Briggs boasted one RBI and two runs scored, while Ruggiero drove in a run and scored once. Three different Oswego batters recorded a hit, with Miller providing the most productive line by going 1-for-1 with an RBI and three walks.

New Paltz next faces St. Joseph's (L.I.) College on Wednesday, April 20, in a 4 p.m. non-conference game in Patchogue, N.Y.