Wappingers Falls, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz collected its first doubleheader sweep of the season Wednesday at Dutchess Stadium, defeating Mount Saint Mary College, 3-2 in extra innings in game one and then 8-4 in game two.
 
The Hawks (5-6 overall) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second after Fabian Apicella led off the inning with a walk followed by a single into left by Justin Harvey with both runners advancing on a wild pitch in the next at-bat. Michael Boccarossa came through on a base hit up the middle, bringing both runners home to create the two-score advantage.
 
Jordan Rios added on with a no out single, but the Knights earned the first out of the inning on a pick-off of Rios who took too long of a lead at first. Following a walk, Matt Sarni tried to bring Boccarossa home on a sacrifice bunt, but Boccarossa was thrown out at home for the second out of the inning. Christopher Sais then grounded out a batter later to end the threat but SUNY New Paltz still clung to a 2-0 lead.
 
The two teams went scoreless until the seventh with starter James Trink having his best game of the season thus far. He produced two-straight 1-2-3 innings in the second and third, then struck out back-to-back batters in the fourth after giving up a lead-off hit, ultimately stranding a runner in scoring position for Mount Saint Mary. Trink got three outs in the fifth on five batters and worked to two outs in the sixth before Xavier Zykoff took over to earn the final out after stranding runners on second and third.
 
The Knights tied the game in the seventh with Bobby Ramsey coming into pitch for Zykoff after hitting a batter to place one on with one out. Mount Saint Mary followed with a double to left to place two runners on before a two RBI hit up the middle brought home both runners to tie the score. Ramsey got out of the inning though with two strikeouts to give his team a chance to get the go-ahead run in extras.
 
Boccarossa led off with a single through the middle of the infield and Mike Ascanio followed with another base hit through the right side. Ryan Mackle laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners with Pierson McGinnis getting the job done on a grounder that was flubbed by the second baseball, allowing Boccarossa to score on the play. Mount Saint Mary limited the damage though to give itself a chance in the bottom half down by just a run. The Knights led off with a single and then a walk, but Robert Gregory, who came in relief of Ramsey, got the job done with a strikeout and then forcing Mount Saint Mary into a double play to end the game with the win.
 
Boccarossa led the way offensively, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Trink finished a no-decision of 5.2 innings of work giving up just three hits, no runs, four walks with a career-high eight strikeouts.
 
Sarni started game two and pitched 3.2 innings giving up five hits and two earned runs with a walk and three strikeouts, but James McGovern earned the win on two innings of work, yielding no runs and just one walk while strikeout out four batters in an efficient outing.
 
The Hawks trailed 4-1 entering the sixth before cutting the deficit to one. The rally started on a one-out triple by Rios before Dillon Ristano ripped an RBI double to left center to plate Rios and cut the score, 4-2. A groundout advance Ristano and a batter later, Chris Thorne brought him home on an RBI single to create a 4-3 game entering the seventh.
 
Sais singled to start the top of the seventh and Apicella got on off an error at first with Boccarossa loading the bases with a walk. Ryan Mackle then all but put the game away, blasting a grand slam to quickly put the Hawks ahead, 7-4. SUNY New Paltz put across another insurance run thanks to a sac fly by Garett Grathwohl, but the Hawks didn't need it as McGovern was firing to end the game in the seventh, strikeout out the side to put an exclamation point on the win.
 
Mackle was the catalyst, going 3-for-4 with a run and four RBI, followed by Thorne (2-for-3) with an RBI, while adding two stolen bases.
 
SUNY New Paltz returns to the field Friday for its first game on Loren Campbell Memorial Field, opening up SUNYAC play against SUNY Brockport. Doubleheader Friday is set for a 12 p.m. start followed by a single game Saturday morning with a tentative 9 a.m. start.

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