Raleigh, NC — After a long preseason, the State University of New York finally kicked off its 2024 season Friday with two wins on opening day over hosting William Peace and Randolph College.
 
The Hawks made the 10-hour trip down to North Carolina and did not miss a beat, defeating the Pacers, 5-3 before earning a 9-1 victory over the WildCats in six innings of play.
 
SUNY New Paltz (2-0 overall) struck first in game one, as Jaycee Filancia helped put the Hawks up 1-0 after hitting a single to left, which scored Kelsey O'Brien from third who placed herself in scoring position with a one-out double earlier in the inning. Kelly Marmorowski patiently took a walk with the bases loaded to bring another run across in the following at-bat with Nicole Greco capping the scoring as she did her job to earn an RBI ground out to score Emmie Mae Cabrera from third base.
 
An error helped William Peace cut the score to 3-1 in the bottom half of the inning before it tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth. A two-RBI single to center scored the Pacers two runners in scoring position who got on with back-to-back one-out singles. However, Hawks ace Lindsay Roman held the scoring there as she got out of the inning with a pop up leaving two on for the Pacers.

The offense backed up Roman in the final stanza with O'Brien staying hot, knocking another double to lead off the inning. Cabrera followed two batter later to give SUNY New Paltz runners on the corners before Filancia moved over Cabrera on a ground out. Marmorowski came up clutch, ripping a two-out double to center to score Cabrera and O'Brien for the go-ahead runs.
 
Sydney Waldon came into relieve Roman and the junior looked sharp in her season debut. After an error at short allowed the leadoff runner on, Cabrera threw her out during the next at-bat getting caught trying to steal second. Waldon then forced a lineout and a pop out to end the game to record the save and register the win for Roman and the Hawks.  
O'Brien and Marmorowski were the offensive catalysts as the two combined for four hits, two doubles, two runs scored, two RBI and a walk. Filancia, meanwhile, registered a hit, RBI and a stolen base.
 
SUNY New Paltz rolled past Randolph College in game two with Waldon earning the start. She pitched through four innings, giving up two hits, one earned run with five strikeouts and five walks. Alyssa Zangrilli came in to pitch the final two innings and allowed no hits or runs with one walk and a strikeout.
 
Jillian Shelbourne broke the game open, hammering a two-run home run in the first to give her team a quick 2-0 lead. Marmorowski provided more offense in the fourth, hitting an RBI double before Rhionna Bianchini added another run with an RBI double that scored Filancia, which brought the lead to 4-1. SUNY New Paltz added two more in the fifth with Sophia D'Arcangelis and O'Brien crossing the plate. D'Arcangelis then added two more on a two-RBI single in the sixth with O'Brien ending the game short as she plated Jackie Rometo to end the inning.
 
D'Arcangelis impressed in her Hawks debut, as the transfer went 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI. O'Brien had another standout game at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Bianchini added a stolen base to go along with her RBI hit and a run scored.
 
SUNY New Paltz has the day off Saturday before concluding its North Carolina trip with a doubleheader against hosting Salem College starting at 11 a.m. The meeting will be the third between the program's and first since 2016.


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