Virginia Beach, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz nearly overcame a six-run deficit to pull off a comeback over Penn State-Harrisburg Sunday on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan.
The Hawks (1-2 overall) scored runs in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth to tie the game at nine-apiece but a late run by the Lions solidified the 10-9 loss for the Hawks.
Robert Gregory earned the start for SUNY New Paltz and pitched the first three innings and gave up five hits and five runs — four earned with three walks and six strikeouts. He held a 1-0 lead entering the top of the third after
Justin Harvey scored
Tommy Kreider with a sacrifice fly.
Gregory earned a strikeout for the first out of the inning but gave up a walk and a double before a wild pitch scored the tying run. He earned the second out of the inning with another K, but Penn State-Harrisburg took the lead on a two-run home run on the next at-bat before Gregory got out of the inning on a flyout a batter later.
After the Lions led off with two-straight hits and a walk,
Xavier Zykoff came in for relief for Gregory. He earned a strikeout on his next batter, but a wild pitch scored the runner from third and advanced the rest over before a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. Zykoff struck out his second batter, but Penn State-Harrisburg tacked on a run before inning's end with another bases loaded walk.
The Lions scored three more in the top of the fifth to take a 7-1 lead into the bottom half of the inning. The Hawks got a run back thanks to a balk with
Nick Harvey scoring from third after getting on, on a hit-by-pitch.
SUNY New Paltz brought the score within three in the bottom of the sixth.
Justin Harvey earned a one-out walk to start the scoring threat. A fielder's choice advanced him over to scoring position a batter later with
Anthony Pericolosi registering an RBI single on a hard hit to short, allowing Harvey to score.
Michael Boccarossa kept the inning alive, following up with a single to left to score Apicella from third to cut the score to 7-4.
After
Jason Wall pitched a scoreless seventh for the Hawks, throwing a 1-2-3 inning, the Hawks tacked on two more in the bottom half on a two RBI single through the gap in center by
Justin Harvey, plating Kreider and
Dillon Ristano.
The Hawks took the lead in the eighth, answering with a three-run inning after Penn State-Harrisburg put one across in the top half. Pericolosi got the offense going with a lead-off homer with Boccarossa following with a walk.
Nick Harvey did his job to move Boccarossa over on a sacrifice bunt before RIstano brought Boccarossa home on a single to right tying the game at 8-8.
Christopher Sais then tied the score at 9-9 for SUNY New Paltz on a deep hit to center, scoring Kreider who got on, on a hit-by-pitch earlier in the inning.
The Hawks couldn't hold off the Lions in the ninth, as they opened up the top of the inning with a double and later scored the runner two batters later following a bunt single and a sacrifice fly which proved as the difference in the game. SUNY New Paltz fizzled out in the bottom of the ninth, striking out and flyout out on a 1-2-3 final half to end the game.
Wall suffered the loss after three innings of work after giving up four this, and two run, one of which was earned. He tallied four strikeouts with no walks. Pericolosi led the way offensively, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Kreider was perfect from the plate, going 3-for-3 with three runs and a walk, while Ristano finished the day, 2-for-4 with one run, an RBI and a walk.
Justin Harvey contributed three RBI, one run and one hit.
SUNY New Paltz returns to the field Saturday for a road double-header against the University of Hartford. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
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