Hackettstown NJ —  The State University of New York at New Paltz Hawks continued its road trip Saturday, playing game one of a three game series against the Centenary University Cyclones at Diamond of Dreams in Hackettstown, NJ.
 
The Hawks, who came away with a doubleheader split in their last series against the University of Hartford, were looking to begin a new winning streak, and started off the weekend on the right foot with a 10-7 victory.
 
SUNY New Paltz got the scoring started early in the top of the first when No 2. hitter Tommy Kreider and No 3. hitter Dillon Ristano got on with back-to-back walks. Two wild pitches to Michael Ascanio allowed runners to move into scoring position. Ascanio then came through with a two-run single to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead. That was all the Hawks got as they moved to the bottom half.
 
Jason Wall was on the hill making his first start of the year, and got into trouble right away when a walk and hit by pitch put two runners on. The Cyclones got on the board on an RBI single to cut the Hawks lead in half. During the next at-bat, a double steal allowed another run to cross the plate, which tied the game at two. Wall would get out of the inning without any more damage.
 
In the top of the third SUNY New Paltz got two on when Fabian Apicella singled to center and Justin Ortiz was hit by a pitch. Next batter Nick Harvey hit an RBI single to right, which drove in Apicella. The scoring continued as Kreider singled to left to drive in Ortiz to give the Hawks a 4-2 lead. 
 
The game remained scoreless until the top of the fifth when Ascanio led off with a double to center. Anthony Pericolosi followed with a single to center to put two runners on. Looking to drive in another insurance run, Michael Boccarossa hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Ascanio. SUNY New Paltz would only get one as they led 5-2. 
Wall started the bottom of the fifth, giving up a leadoff walk. The Cyclones stole second to put a runner into scoring position. A ground out moved the runner to third, which led to Centenary getting a run back on a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-3 game. Three batters later after a walk and a single, the Hawks looked to try and get the third out and turned to their bullpen as right hander Matt Sarni took over in his third game of the season. With runners at the corners, Sarni fielded a comebacker to get SUNY New Paltz out of the inning.
 
Wall went four and two thirds innings, giving up three runs—-all earned—- three walks, and one strikeout.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Hawks continued to add on to their lead. Apicella led off with his first triple of the year. It would be a bullpen game from then on, as Centenary brought in a new arm. A walk and stolen base from Ortiz, put two runners on. Freshman Joe Richetti came on to pinch run for Ortiz, and two batters later Kreider picked up his first hit of the game, with a two run single to give SUNY New Paltz a 7-3 lead. 
 
A scoreless game until the ninth, the Hawks found ways to squeak out some more runs when freshman Sal Dileo pinch hit for Justin Harvey, and reached on a hit by pitch. A walk to Apicella put two on for SUNY New Paltz. Next batter Richetti got a break when he reached on an error at third. Dileo scored and increased the Hawks' lead to five. Harvey's two run single to right drove home two more, to give the Hawks their final two runs of the game.
 
Centenary would not go away without a fight in the ninth. Right-hander Connor Olson took over in his second game of the season, and gave up a hit by pitch and a walk to the first two he faced. The Cyclones pushed a runner across from Olson to make it a 10-4 game. Freshman Ryan Knieriemen took over in his third game of the season. With two on and one out, the Cyclones drove home one on a  double, to make a 10-5 game. On a single two more runs came across to make it 10-7. With the tying run at the plate, Centenary grounded out to short to secure the close win for SUNY New Paltz.
 
Ascanio, Nick Harvey, and Kreider drove in eight, collecting seven hits between them. 
 
SUNY New Paltz continues the series Sunday with game one at 11 a.m. Game two is scheduled for 2 p.m.


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