Box Score

FISHKILL, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team (10-10) fell behind early to Mount Saint Mary College (9-11) in a non-conference single game on Thursday evening at Dutchess Stadium, and despite leveling the score at 2-all in the fourth, the Knights pushed five across in the seventh to roll to a 7-2 victory.

Michael Morelli hit a two-run home run in the first to put Mount Saint Mary up, 2-0, early, but the Hawks responded in the fourth, pounding out four hits and scoring twice with two outs on the board. A five-run eighth for the Knights, however, spelled doom for New Paltz, as the visitors used three different pitchers during the inning and allowed five runs on two hits and one error.

Senior pitcher Brett Harrison (Merrick, N.Y.) drew the start on the mound for the Hawks, giving up two runs on four hits across four innings of work. He did not earn a decision. Freshman pitcher James McKenna (Bohemia, N.Y.) struck out three and permitted just one hit in two innings of duty in relief, but freshman pitchers Mike Pastorino (Stormville, N.Y.) and Chris Pyz (Kings Park, N.Y.) combined to surrender five runs on two hits in the seventh. Pastorino was charged with the loss. Junior pitcher Nick Monaco (Medford, N.Y.) threw the final 1 1/3 frames, giving up a hit while recording one strikeout.

Carl Henchey got the start on the bump for the Knights, yielding two runs on four hits and two walks before giving way to Joe CoFrancesco, who tossed two scoreless innings of three-hit ball. Christopher O'Connor gained the win after holding the Hawks scoreless in one inning of action, and Brady Purcell kept New Paltz from mounting heroics, issuing just one walk in two innings of work while striking out three.

Sophomore catcher Matt Kaldon (Montgomery, N.Y.) and sophomore third baseman Matt Prescia (Oakdale, N.Y.) paced the New Paltz offense with a pair of 2-for-4 performances at the plate, while Vinnie Carminati batted 2-for-5 to lead the Knights. Morelli also scored twice in addition to his two RBI that he collected off his two-run homer in the first.

Of note, junior designated hitter Jake Cameron (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) saw his 15-game hit streak end, as he went 0-for-4 at the dish. It wound up being the fourth-longest hit streak in the history of the program.

The Hawks travel to Oneonta, N.Y., this weekend for a three-game State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) series with the Red Dragons of SUNY Oneonta. A doubleheader is slated for noon on Saturday, April 9, while a single nine-inning game is set for noon on Sunday, April 10.