Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

New Paltz, NY -- The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team split its State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader against The College at Brockport Saturday, beating the Golden Eagles 9-5 in game one, while losing game two, 9-1.

"We definitely got an opportunity to win our first conference series of the year," said Hawks coach Thomas Seay. "Unfortunately game two slipped there in the fourth, but we'll come back tomorrow. Momentum is driven by your starting pitching. If we're throwing strikes and working fast to give us some momentum offensively it'll be a good game [tomorrow.]" 

Senior pitcher Justin Stybel was certainly working quick for SUNY New Paltz in game one of the series, getting through the first three innings rather easily in a 0-0 ballgame. The Golden Eagles took the first jab of the game in the top of the fourth, however, scoring twice off a home run and an error to take a 2-0 lead.

The Hawks offense answered in the bottom of the fourth, with sophomore first baseman Dean Stalzer leading the inning off by reaching on an error and senior infielder Ryan Frost driving him in to get on the board 2-1. After Stybel got out of a jam in the top of the fifth, SUNY New Paltz's bats continued into the bottom half, scoring three more runs on RBI doubles by senior outfielder Danny Campbell and senior first baseman Justin Ganca and an RBI single from junior outfielder Julian Francisco to go up, 3-2.

With both teams going scoreless in the sixth inning, a 1-2-3 inning by Stybel in the top of the seventh gave the Hawks the momentum they needed after the seventh inning stretch. In the bottom of the inning, SUNY New Paltz loaded the bases with no outs, leading to a two-RBI Stalzer double and a three-run home run by Ganca to extend the lead to 8-2 and take the advantage in the game.

The College at Brockport scored once in the eighth, and twice more in the ninth, but it was not enough to mount a comeback in the loss. Stybel earned the win for the Hawks, chucking a complete game with 10 hits, four earned runs and five strikeouts.

"I think we feel really good. We haven't really been playing to our full potential, but today helped us gain some confidence," Stybel said. "I'm feeling confident, the staffs feeling confident, should be a good couple weeks for New Paltz baseball."

Unfortunately, SUNY New Paltz couldn't come out with the same energy it had in game one into game two, giving up a run in the first inning to go behind and never find its way back. Junior pitcher Anthony Amoroso settled in and cruised through the second and third innings, but an offensive onslaught by the Golden Eagles in the top of the fourth inning gave them the energy they needed to win.

After freshman infielder Mike Boccarossa tied the game for the Hawks in the bottom of the third at one with an RBI single, The College at Brockport came out in the fourth with an eight-run inning, scoring three on a home run, two on a double, one on a single, one on a fielder's choice and another on a passed ball to go up 9-1.

SUNY New Paltz's offense had no answer for the Golden Eagles, with the rest of the game moving quick as hitters tried to jump on pitches early in the count. The Hawks lost by the score of 9-1, splitting the day to come back Sunday in need of the rubber match.

"Coach Seay always tells us we need to go into every game 0-0 and just try to get that win," Ganca said. "This was a huge weekend for us [so far], we really had our backs against the wall. Brockport did also, so we both came out swinging."

Game three of the series with The College at Brockport will start at 12 p.m. To stay up to date with everything #NPHawks be sure to follow us on Twitter at @nphawks, Instagram and Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks.