New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz held its home opener at Mary Gray Deane Field Tuesday and lost a pair of tight one-run contests to visiting Mount Saint Mary College, 2-1 and 3-2 with game two going into eight innings.
 
Lindsay Roman pitched a complete game for the Hawks, giving up just three hits and two earned runs with four walks and six strikeouts. Two of four walks came in the top of the first inning with the Knights taking advantage on a two-out RBI single down the middle, but Roman quickly got out of the jam with a pop up.
 
SUNY New Paltz answered in the bottom half thanks to a leadoff single by Jackie Rometo. Jillian Shelbourne brought Rometo home two batters later with a two-out RBI base hit up the middle to tie the score at 1-1.
 
Offense was limited for both teams through the next six innings. The Hawks had an opportunity to take the lead in the third after Rometo opened up the frame with a leadoff double that fell just inside the left field line. She was moved to third on the next at-bat following a well-placed sacrifice bunt by Rhinonna Bianchini, but SUNY New Paltz couldn't bring her home as a strikeout and lineout ended the threat.
 
The Hawks had runners in scoring position in the fifth with Rometo getting on following a fielder's choice and advancing to second on a walk by Bianchini, but the inning ended on a strikeout. Mount Saint Mary took the lead with a run in the seventh after a two-out double kept the inning alive. The Knights plated the run a batter later on a single to deep center, but Roman limited the damage once again, getting the final out on a pop up to hold the score at 2-1 heading into the next half inning. Sydney Bonewit reached on a one-out single to left, but the Knights got the second on a pop-up to first. Rometo knocked a single to left on the following at-bat, but Bonewit was thrown out at third on the play to end the game.
 
 
Rometo was the catalyst offensively going 3-for-4 with one run, as she had three of the Hawks six total hits in the game.
 
Sydney Waldon earned the game two start for SUNY New Paltz and pitched all eight innings, allowing just six hits, one earned run, two walks with one strikeout.
 
Mount Saint Mary took a one run lead into the bottom of the third, but the Hawks answered with a run of their own to tie the score. Bianchini led off with a walk and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Rometo and then was brought home on an RBI single by Shelbourne.  
SUNY New Paltz tied the score at 2-2 after the Knights regained the lead with a run in the top of the fourth. The Hawks opened up the bottom half with a base hit by Jaycee Filancia who advanced to second on a passed ball a batter later. She eventually was brought home on a two-out RBI single to shallow center by Cabrera.

Waldon had 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh to hold the 2-2 tie. SUNY New Paltz had a chance to take the lead in the sixth, but stranded runners on second and third and nearly won in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh. Jillian Shelbourne started the threat with a base hit with Kelsey O'Brien stepping in to pinch run. Cabrera followed with a single to right and on the next at-bat. Kelly Marmorowski hit a fly to right, but an errant throw in allowed O'Brien to tag up and was waved around third. She headed toward home but was caught at the plate for the final out of the inning, forcing extras.
 
An automatic runner was placed on second to begin the eighth and Mount Saint Mary hit in that run following back-to-back singles, but Waldon got out of the jam following three straight groundouts. Catie Driscoll replaced Marmorowski at second to begin the inning and was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Bernstein, but the Hawks couldn't get the tying run across as the game ended with a flyout and strikeout, resulting in a 3-2 final.
 
Shelbourne, Cabrera and Bonewit each went 2-for-4 with Shelbourne and Cabrera each having one RBI. Filancia hit 1-for-2 with a run scored.
 
SUNY New Paltz returns to Mary Gray Deane Field for its first SUNYAC weekend of the season, hosting SUNY Geneseo for a doubleheader Friday starting at 3 p.m. before facing Brockport for a two-game series Saturday, beginning at noon.

Game 1 Highlights


Game 2 Highlights


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