Newport News, VA — The State University of New York at New Paltz opened up its 2023 season Saturday with a doubleheader against Christopher Newport University. The Hawks (0-2 overall) lost 5-0 in game one and 11-4 in game two in the doubleheader.
 
Billy Moeller earned the season-opening start for SUNY New Paltz, throwing four innings, giving up just three hits and a run scored with a walk and three strikeouts. The lone run was given up in the third on a two-out single to left that scored the leadoff batter who got on with a hard hit ball up the middle. The damage was limited there, as Moeller got out of the inning on a ground out to end his day.
 
The Hawks struggled getting their offense going, recording just two hits on the day — one of which was a triple by third baseman Michael Boccarossa in the top of the seventh that put SUNY New Paltz in position to tie the game at a run apiece. However, the Hawks couldn't capitalize, as Adam Webber flew out to left to close out the inning. In turn, the Captains answered with three insurance runs in the bottom half with Connor Olson in for relief. The hosts then sealed the shutout in the last two innings before putting one more run across in the bottom of the eighth to seal a the win. Dillon Ristano was the only other Hawk with a hit in the game.
 
James Trink earned the start in game two for SUNY New Paltz and threw three innings, giving up two hits, three earned runs with three strikeouts and a hit by pitch in 17 batters faced.
 
The Captains took an early 3-0 lead at the end of the first inning after getting their lead-off batter on with a walk. A hit-by-pitch placed two runners on with no out with each runner advancing on a steal to put both in scoring position with Christopher Newport then taking advantage on back-to-back one-out hits. Trink got out of the inning though with two consecutive outs on a strikeout and groundout.  
Boccarossa got himself into scoring position in the top of the second following a lead-off walk on a full count. He advanced over to third on a pair of flyouts, but the Hawks couldn't put him across as a fielder's choice by Xavier Zykoff ended the threat. Still trailing by three, SUNY New Paltz had an opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the fifth as Justin Harvey led off with a base hit. He advanced into scoring position on a Zykoff groundout on the following at-bat, but once again the Hawks left the runner stranded, as the Captains closed the inning with a strikeout and groundout to keep the score at 3-0.
 
The game was virtually put away in the bottom half of the fifth, as Christopher Newport registered seven runs — thanks in large part to a grand slam with no outs in the inning. Anthony Abraham came in for relief and got the last two outs of the frame, but not until the hosts upped its lead to 10-0.
 
SUNY New Paltz scored its first runs of 2023 in the top of the third inning. Zykoff began the stretch with a leadoff base hit. Chris Thorne followed with a single to right before Alex Oulette batted Zykoff in from second on a single down the left field line. Jordan Rios then smacked a two-run double to cut the score to 10-3.
 
Christopher Newport added an insurance run in the eighth and SUNY New Paltz answered with a run in the ninth. Christopher Sais came in to pinch hit for Ristano and the freshman catcher registered his first career hit with a leadoff single up the middle. He was later brought in by freshman Pierson McGinnis on a groundout double play. The game ended there with Thorne grounding out in the final at-bat of the day.
 
Thorne and Sais each finished with a hit and run scored, while Zykoff went 1-for-2 with a run and a walk.
 
SUNY New Paltz closes out its three-game series against the Champions Sunday at 12 p.m.  

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