Cortland, NY — For the first time in 24 years, the Hawks are headed to a SUNYAC final.
 
After falling in the first game in the double elimination SUNYAC Tournament Saturday against top seed Cortland, 7-3, the State University of New York at New Paltz regrouped for a win-or-go-home game against No. 3 Oswego later in the afternoon and did the daunting task of beating a team five straight times. The resilient Hawks, never counted out as they boast one of the most dangerous lineups in the region, came back to eliminate the Lakers, 4-3 and cement a spot in the SUNYAC Championship Sunday against the No. 1 seeded Red Dragons for their second ever appearance in the final round.
 
"I think beating any team five times is tough in this game, so many different things can happen, both good and bad to change the outcome of a game," said SUNY New Paltz coach Thomas Seay. "Oswego is a tremendous team. We were just able to hang around long enough to make some plays and win those games."
 
Oswego took the initial 2-0 lead after the first inning on a two-run homer, but Hawks sophomore Matt Sarni, who earned his first ever start after taking on the team's top reliever role for most of the year in 18 appearances, settled in and retired 19 of the next 24 batters before heading into the eighth.
 
SUNY New Paltz earned a run back in the third thanks to a solo home run by Tommy Kreider before taking full control in the bottom of the seventh. Dillon Ristano got the inning started with a one-out single before an error on a hard hit to third by Justin Harvey kept the frame going with one out. The miscues continued for Oswego, as Fabian Apicella ripped a single through the right side before a fumble by the right fielder allowed Ristano to score, tying the game at 2-2. Freshman Wallace Kirkpatrick then came through clutch and roped a two-RBI base hit down the right field line, bringing Harvey and Apicella into score for the go-ahead run.
 
"This ball club is the toughest, grittiest team I've ever coached," Seay said. "They just play hard, and they always feel like they can win. Up or down, they always feel like we have a chance. It's a special group of men."  
The Lakers cut the deficit to one in the eighth before Liam Ryan came into relieve Sarni with the sophomore earning two-straight outs, stranding runners in scoring position to keep the one-run lead for his team. He then closed the door in the ninth. After plunking the leadoff batter, Ryan honed in and threw darts, striking out the side, 1-2-3 to hold the lead, earn the save and cement SUNY New Paltz into a SUNYAC final.
 
Sarni was handed the win after tossing 7.1 innings, allowing eight hits, three earned runs and two walks with five strikeouts. Ryan secured his first save of the year, striking out four of six batters faced.
 
Ristano led the way offensively, going 2-for-3 with one run, while earning his 100th career hit in the process. Kirkpatrick followed, finishing 1-for-2 with two RBI and a walk.
 
"Matt Sarni is a competitor. He's been outstanding out of the bullpen for us all year. Our club has the upmost confidence in him. He pitched an absolute gem today," Seay said. "I couldn't be more proud of him and proud of our team. Both Dillon Ristano and Justin Harvey collected their 100th hits today. Liam Ryan comes in and locks down the eighth and ninth — just a great program win."
 
The Hawks offense stalled in the first game of the afternoon, producing just eight hits and unable to take advantage of three fielding errors by the hosting Red Dragons in the 7-3 loss.
 
James McGovern was on the hill for SUNY New Paltz and pitched five innings, facing one batter in the sixth. Cortland got ahead in the second, thanks to a three-run homer after Michael Ascanio gave the Hawks the initial lead on a solo home run in the first.
 
Cortland went up 4-1 in the third, taking advantage of a leadoff double. A flyout advanced the runner over to third and was hit in two batters later on an RBI single through the infield. McGovern got out of the inning though with two straight outs on a flyout and pop up to strand two on for the Red Dragons.
 
SUNY New Paltz fought back to get within one in the sixth. Michael Boccarossa started the rally on a two-out single. Ristano followed up with a base hit before Harvey ripped a ball toward short with Boccarossa able to score following a throwing error on the play. Harvey not only helped his team cut the score, 4-2 on the swing but also recorded career hit 100.
 
Apicella drove another run across on a base hit up the gut of the middle infield, bringing Ristano in to score, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
 
Cortland gave itself some breathing room with a run in the sixth before creating a four-run cushion with a two-run home run in the seventh. SUNY New Paltz, known for its late game heroics, couldn't stem another magical comeback. Ristano kept the eighth inning alive with a two-out double down the left field line, but a quick fly out ended the threat. Apicella started the ninth with a leadoff single to shallow center, but a double play left the Hawks down to their final out, which concluded on a ground out to end the game.
 
Ristano and Apicella led the way with two hits apiece, both going 2-for-4 with Ristano adding a run and Apicella an RBI. McGovern suffered the loss after throwing five solid innings, giving up seven hits, five earned runs and four walks with Zykoff closing out the last 2.2 innings, allowing just two hits, two earned with three strikeouts.
 
"I honestly wasn't worried after losing Game 1 today versus Cortland. I felt like we played well, Cortland just played better," Seay said. "McGovern gave us a good outing and Xavier was good to go after the day off yesterday to give us some innings in the back end of the game. We just didn't have some hits fall our way. We hit some balls hard right at their defenders. That happens and their pitching staff did a really nice job against us. It was a good game, we just lost."
 
The Hawks get another shot at the top seeded Red Dragons Sunday, needing to win two over the only undefeated team left in the tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. with a potential second game set right after that could clinch SUNY New Paltz its first ever conference championship.
 
"This is gonna sound crazy but I'm just happy we get to spend another day together," Seay said. "It's a fun group to be around. They're loose, we're having fun, can't ask for a better opportunity. Would be great to do something special for all our baseball moms on Mother's Day. We wouldn't be here without those special women in our lives, me included."


Hawks vs. Oswego Game Highlights (courtesy of Cortland Athletics)


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