Annandale-on-Hudson —The State University of New York at New Paltz concluded its series against Bard College with a doubleheader Saturday.
 
The Hawks looked to continue their run barrage from Friday. While the bats cooled off, the pitching in Game 1 dominated as they cruised to a 3-0 win. SUNY New Paltz then showed its power and plate discipline in Game 2, as they smoked the ball and cruised again to a 21-4 victory to take the three-game series sweep.
 
Nick Harvey led off the top of the first for the Hawks with a walk. Harvey then stole second, which moved a runner into scoring position. No. 2 hitter and SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Week and D3Baseball Team of the Week selection Tommy Kreider walked which put two runners on out of the gate. With a great opportunity to get on the board early, Michael Ascanio cracked a base hit and loaded the bases. With them loaded and no outs, Anthony Pericolosi grounded to second. The Raptors were unable to turn two which allowed Harvey to score and SUNY New Paltz to cash in early. Michael Boccarossa swung at the first pitch, and produced a run. An RBI groundout scored Kreider and gave the Hawks a 2-0 lead.
 
Robert Gregrory was on the hill Saturday for the Hawks, where he looked to go 2-0 on the season. First batter of the game singled for Bard, but the base hit didn't amount to anything for the Raptors as Gregory kept the ball in the infield and left the first scoreless.
 
In the bottom of the third, Bard led off with a single, but the lead off runner didn't phase Gregory. He induced a pop out to short, a ground out to third, and a strikeout to get out of the frame. The Hawks had a 2-0 lead as they went to the fourth.
 
 
Another leadoff single was how the bottom of the fifth scored for Bard, which ended Gregory's terrific outing. Gregory went four innings and gave up three hits, no runs and no walks with no strikeouts. He was dominant. James McGovern took over in his eighth appearance of the year. He threw five pitches and got three outs.
 
Kreider led off the bottom of the sixth and did what he does best, getting on base, as he earned a walk to start the offense. Hungry for another base, Kreider stole second and gave SUNY New Paltz a chance for another insurance run. Two batters later, Pericolosi came through with an RBI single to right and helped extend the score to 3-0.  
Game 1 only went to seven innings with Matt Sarni looking for his second save of the season. Bard recorded a two-out single to left, which kept the Raptors alive. Sarni disregarded the baserunner and the next batter grounded to third, securing the Hawks a 3-0 shutout win.
 
SUNY New Paltz was only limited to four hits in Game 1. Ascanio, Pericolosi, Justin Harvey, and Fabian Apicella each registered a hit with Pericolosi and Boccarossa driving in the only runs of the game.
 
Game 2 started with an oddity, as Nick Harvey and Kreider led off the game with two triples to right field. A wild pitch to Michael Ascanio scored Kreider and just like the first game, the Hawks were ready to score early. The hitting continued as Pericolosi, Dillon Ristano and Justin Harvey all singled. Five hits and four runs made a statement for SUNY New Paltz, and it was just getting started.
 
Liam Ryan took the mound in his seventh appearance of the season and he looked sharp in the first. A walk, a ground ball to third and two strikeouts was what Bard mustard. The bottom of the second was not as smooth as the first. 
 
Ryan allowed back-to-back base runners, but refocused to earn two straight outs with a strikeout looking and a ground out to third. The Raptors looked to drive home a run and they succeeded with an RBI single to right putting them on the board, 4-1. Ryan reared back with a strikeout, limiting the damage to one run.
 
Kreider continued his outstanding hitting with a leadoff single in the fourth. Alert on the basepaths, Kreider moved up to third on two wild pitches. Pericolosi cracked one to right to add another run on a sacrifice fly. Kreider scored and SUNY New Paltz went up 7-1.
 
In the top of the fifth, Apicella reached first when Bard's shortstop had trouble fielding a grounder. Next batter Justin Ortiz lined one to right and went all the way to third with the Hawks' third triple of the game. Apicella scored and SUNY New Paltz added another run which gave them a seven run lead.
 
An offensive frenzy occurred for the Hawks in the eighth, as 12 runs came across to score with SUNY New Paltz batting around the order. Pericolosi led off with a walk and while up 11-1, Nick Harvey socked a three-run double to push three more home for the Hawks, adding to their huge lead, 14-1. Three straight singles by Ascanio, Kreider and Pericolosi loaded the bases and plated another run, stretching the lead to 14. Pitcher Xavier Zykoff pinch hit for Ortiz and tripled for SUNY New Paltz's fourth triple of the game, which scored two runs and capped the inning to fatten its cushion, 21-1. 
 
Dylan Hayes came on to shut it down in the eighth in what was the final inning of the game. 
 
Hayes got the lead off hitter swinging, but Bard hung in as the Raptors knocked a two-run double to get two runs back. Four more pitches induced a groundout and a strikeout swinging, which cemented the huge offensive game for the Hawks as they swept the double header 3-0 and 21-4.
 
SUNY New Paltz racked up 22 hits and eight walks in the run barrage. Pericolosi went 4-for-4 with two RBI and a walk. Kreider went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a walk. Boccarossa went 2-for-3 and two walks. Apicella went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
 
Dylan Thomasson picked up his first win of the season after going two innings and allowing one hit, no runs and no walks with no strikeouts.
 
SUNY New Paltz returns home Tuesday against Ramapo. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Loren Campbell Memorial Field.

 
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