New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team earned its first SUNYAC win of the season Saturday after taking one of two against visiting Plattsburgh State Saturday.
 
The Hawks (3-3 overall, 1-3 SUNYAC) had an uneven performance, but did enough to capture a Game 1, 7-3 victory following a gritty outing on the hill from junior Billy Moeller. The team struggled in Game 2, however, and was unable to match their offensive production from Game 1 as they fell, 15-4.
 
"It's obviously always tough to lose, but we just have to stay positive," Moeller said. "We did take one and we just need to use that as a momentum builder because tomorrow is the heart of the season. We got to go 5-1 and just grind out games and find a way to win."
 
Dean Stalzer was the catalyst offensively in Game 1, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, a run scored and a double. Matt McGee followed, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored, while adding a stolen base. The Monroe, NY product stepped up to lead his team in game two with an RBI and a run scored. Justin Oritz and Ryan Geraghty, meanwhile totaled six runs, five hits, including two doubles, and an RBI in the two games combined, batting one and two in the order, respectively.
 
 
Moeller, getting his first start for the Hawks, helped carry his team to a Game 1 win Saturday. The junior threw 147 pitches and battled through eight innings.

"150 pitches is a lot. It definitely takes a toll, but at a certain point it just becomes mental and you just got to be tougher and just grind it out," he said. "I haven't thrown anywhere near that in my life and anything close to that is senior year in high school, so it has been awhile."
 
Moeller rolled early and didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning and his offense came through for him.
 
Stalzer got the scoring started for the Hawks, as he smacked an RBI single through the middle of the infield to bring home Geraghty who got on after a dropped, third strike. 
SUNY New Paltz had a huge fourth inning to cushion its one-run advantage. McGee got things started with a lead-off single and earned another bag a batter later with a stolen base.
 
Nick Harvey brought McGee home on an RBI single to right and on two outs, Matt Laurelli kept the inning alive with a blast to left to score Harvey and extend his team's lead, 3-0.
 
Plattsburgh's Chase Blazak had trouble getting out of the inning, as he walked Ortiz in the next at-bat then gave up a hit to Geraghty, loading the bases for Hawks' No. 3 hitter, Stalzer. Stalzer, coming off a monster performance against Oswego Tuesday, came up big again this time with a bases clearing shot to deep left field to push SUNY New Paltz ahead, 6-0.
 
Moeller and his defense allowed just a run in the following three innings, with some great defensively plays by his infield to keep the Hawks with a commanding lead.
 
Moeller started the top of the eighth, giving up a lead off walk before getting the next batter on a fly ball to right. The Cardinals added another runner on before hitting into a fielders choice for the inning's second out. Moeller allowed two runs on a double to Zachary Stone and Hawks coach Thomas Seay was ready to put Matthew Polestino in for relief after 140 pitches by Moeller. However, after a mound visit by pitching coach Brandon Rivera and catcher Justin Harvey, Moeller had to re-enter to finish the last batter. He worked through a long at-bat and after a couple pitches fouled off, he forced a fly out to right for the final out of the inning.

"I've never had that happen to me and I've never heard of that, but I just told myself you either are going to get this kid out, they want to sneak something by and catch you off guard and I just threw back on my cleats and I got back on the mound and just grinded out that last at-bat," Moeller said.
 
Polestino pitched the final inning and closed out the game, but not before McGee helped SUNY New Paltz to a 7-3 lead with the bases loaded walk.
 
Moeller finished with eight strikeouts, six walks, four hits and three earned runs on eight innings of work.

"It was a great feeling to get that first win under our belt we definitely needed it after Oswego," Moeller said. "It's a good momentum builder going into this week. We've got a lot of games. I didn't really have my secondary pitches today, but we just kept battling and grinding it out and we managed to get the W."

The offense stalled in game two for the Hawks. After registering 11 hits in game one, they mustered just six in game two.
 
The Cardinals got ahead early, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. SUNY New Paltz rallied in the next two innings. John McCarrick got the Hawks on the board with an RBI double to plate McGee in the bottom of the second. In the third, Oritz led off with a single and then stole second to put himself in scoring position. Plattsburgh's Chris Santic walked Geraghty and Stalzer to load the bases and although he got the next out, McGee helped bring the go-ahead run across after knocking a chopper to third and forcing an errant throw to first, which scored Geraghty and Ortiz and advancing him to second. Justin Harvey patiently took a walk on the next at-bat, but McCarrick ground into a double play ending the inning with the Hawks leading at just 3-2.
 
Plattsburgh didn't take long to answer and a huge fourth inning broke the game open in favor of the visiting Cardinals. An error by McCarrick allowed the lead-off runner to advance to second and the inning snowballed with Plattsburgh getting a single on the next at-bat, followed by another error on McCarrick to load the bases. A walk brought one runner across and then a bases clearing double pushed the visitors lead, 6-3. The Cardinals added two more before the inning was over and held a 9-3 advantage entering the bottom half of the inning.
 
SUNY New Paltz threatened to add on in the bottom of the fifth, as Jesse Keshner led off with a single and advanced on a groundout by McGee. Justin Harvey picked up another walk, but the Hawks couldn't plate either runner as a pop-up and a fielders choice kept the score still heading into the sixth.
 
The Cardinals piled on with six in the seventh inning to put away the eventual, 15-8 win.
 
Plattsburgh finished with 18 hits after registering just five in Game 1. Nick Harvey received the loss after allowing eight hits and six earned runs in three innings.

SUNY New Paltz is back home Tuesday when it faces SUNY Oneonta for a doubleheader starting at noon. 





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