Hackettstown, NJ – The State University of New York at New Paltz split the day Friday, going 1-1 with the Centenary University Cyclones after falling in Game 1, 11-0 before coming back to earn a dominant Game 2 victory, 23-8.
 
The Hawks (4-4) finished Game 1 with 10 runs, nine hits and five errors to the Cyclones (4-5-1) 11 runs, 10 hits and one error. SUNY New Paltz dominated in Game 2 with 23 runs, 20 hits and four errors to Centenary's eight runs, seven hits and one error.
 
Game One: Michael Weed started on the mound for the Hawks, pitching 3.2 innings. Weed struck out three batters, let up five hits, five runs, one walk and two errors. 
 
Dillion Ristano earned the first hit of the game with one out left in the first. The graduate student form Woodmere, NY sent the ball into left center field earning a double and bringing Tommy Kreider home for the first run of the game. Ristano was left on base after a fly out to center field. 
 
Ryan Mackle got the ball rolling early in the second inning after the Cyclones tied up the score in the bottom of the first. Mackle's double led the Hawks into a five-run inning. 
 
Alex Ouellette was up to bat after Mackle and was hit by a pitch, advancing to first. Matt Sarni earned a walk, loading the bases. Anthony Pericolosi reached first on an error by Centenary's third basemen, sending Mackle past home plate for SUNY New Paltz's second run. Kreider earned a walk, bringing home Ouelette. Michael Ascanio reached first on a fielder's choice that tagged Sarni out at home plate. Ristano stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and singled to centerfield moving Ascanio to third and bringing home both Pericolosi and Kreider. Ryan Muskopf singled to right center bringing home Ascanio for the fifth and final run of the inning. Ristano and Muskopf were left on base as the Hawks went into the bottom of the second up 6-1. 
 
The Cyclones scored three runs in the bottom of the second and made a pitching change at the start third. 
 
Mackle started the inning with a single to right center. Ouellette grounded out to the short stop and Mackle advanced to second. Sarni singled and Mackle advanced to third. Pericolosi flied out to right field, sacrificing himself to bring Mackle home for the Hawks seventh run. Sarni advanced to second on a wild pitch but was left on base at the turn of the inning.   
Centenary scored its fifth run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Scott Scheppy come in to relieve Weed with one out left in the inning. 
 
Tyler Gallagher started the fifth inning with a home run to right center. Mackle grounded out to third based followed by Ouellette singling to left field. Sarni reached first on a fielder's choice and Ouellette was tagged out. The Cyclones made another pitching change and Sarni was caught stealing ending the inning with no one on base. 
 
Scheppy pitched 0.1 of an inning letting up three hits, four runs, four errors and one walk. Ryan Knieriman came in to relieve Scheppy. Knieriemen finished out the bottom of the fifth inning. In his 1.0 inning on the mound Knieriman struck out one batter, let up two hits and two runs. Centenary scored six runs in the fifth to get out to an 11-8 lead. 
 
Tyler Lopez stepped in to pitch the sixth inning, striking out one batter across the three he faced. Lopez held off the Cyclones not letting up a single hit or run.
 
Gallagher was hit by a pitch with one out left in the seventh inning. SUNY New Paltz capitalized on Gallagher getting on base. Wallace Kirkpatrick pinch hit for Mackle and Joe Richetti pinch ran for Gallagher. Kirkpatrick hit a home run to right field bringing Richetti home with him scoring runs nine and 10. Centenary earned the third out of the inning, winning Game 1.
 
Game Two: After a ground out to the short stop to start the second game, Kreider doubled to center field. Ascanio flew out to left field with a sacrifice fly, moving Kreider into a scoring position. Kreider was left on base at the turn of the inning after a second fly out to left field.
 
Xavier Zykoff started on the mound in game two pitching 0.1 of an inning, striking out one batter, letting up three runs, and one hit. Johnny McHugh stepped to finish the first. The Cyclones scored three runs, leaving the Hawks trailing, 3-0 after the first.
 
Kirkpatrick started the inning with a double to right center. After a strikeout at the plate, Richetti was walked. Garrett Garthwohl grounded out to the pitcher and Kirkpatrick advanced to third. Fabian Apicella singled to left field and advanced second, sending Kirkpatrick and Richetti home. Sarni singled to left center batting in Apicella and evening the score at 3-3. He was caught stealing ending the inning. 
 
Kreider led off the third inning with a single. Ascanio grounded out to second and Kreider advanced to second. After a pitching change on Centenary's side, Ristano grounded out to third and Kreider advanced, but was left on base.
 
The Hawks had a huge fourth inning. Robert Gregory earned a walk to start them off, followed by a double to left center from Richetti. Garthwohl doubled to left center bringing home both Gregory and Richetti. The Cyclones made a pitching change hoping to slow SUNY New Paltz down. Garthwohl advanced on a passed ball and Nico Batkay earned a walk, then stole second. Sarni singled to third base, bringing home Garthwohl with Batkay advancing to third on a throwing error. Mackle was struck out, but the Hawks kept rolling. Ascanio tripled to right center batting in both Batkay and Sarni. The Cyclones made their second pitching change of the inning. 
 
Ristano doubled to left field batting in Ascanio for the ninth run of the game for SUNY New Paltz. Kirkpatrick was hit by a pitch and advanced to first. Gregory earned his second walk of the inning, loading the bases. Richetti singled to right field batting Ristano in. Centenary made its third, but not final pitching change of the inning. Garthwohl welcomed the new pitcher to the game with a grandslam. Garthwohl batted in Kirkpatrick, Gregory and Richetti, putting the Hawks up 14-3. 
 
Still in the fourth inning, Batkay walked. Sarni flew out to center field. With one out left, Mackle kept the good times rolling with a double to right center, bringing Batkay home. Ascanio didn't leave him on base for long, batting both Mackle and himself in with a home run. The Cyclones changed their pitcher for the fourth and final time in the fourth inning. Ristano grounded out to the shortstop, and no one was left on base. 
 
Jeff Lundstedt stepped onto the mound to start the bottom of the fourth. McHugh left the game after pitching 2.2 innings, letting up one hit and one walk, but no runs. Lundstedt pitched 0.1 of an inning, letting up four runs, two hits and one walk before Frankie Collora came in to relieve him. The Cyclones scored four runs but still trailed the Hawks 17-7 heading into the fifth.
 
Kirkpatrick opened the fifth inning with a double to left field, followed by a walk from Gregory. Richetti popped up to third. Garthwohl singled to left field, loading the bases. All the Hawks advanced on a wild pitch, Kirkpatrick capitalizing on the error passing home plate. Apicella singled to first bringing home Gregory but was caught trying to steal second base. With Garthwohl on third, Sarni was walked. Batkay singled to right field bringing both runners home. Ascanio doubled to left center, bringing home Batkay for his team's 22nd run of the game. The Cyclones made a pitching change and Ristano grounded out ending the inning. 
 
The sixth inning was quiet without a hit or run for SUNY New Paltz. Centenary earned a hit but was shut down by the Hawks defense before they could score. Connor Catania came in to relieve Collora in the bottom of the sixth. Collora gave up two hits, one walk and one run with no errors across his 1.2 innings on the mound. 
 
Sarni started the inning with an out. Batkay followed up with a double to right center and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Ascanio walked and Ristano flew out to right field in a sacrifice fly, bringing home Batkay. Kirkpatrick flew out to right field and Ascanio was left on base. 
 
The Cyclones could not answer back the 15 un-answered runs, and SUNY New Paltz took game two in seven inning's played. Catania finished on the mound pitching 2.0 innings, earning one strikeout, letting up one hit and no runs. Lundstedt earned his first career win.
 
SUNY New Paltz in back in action March 15 with a three-game series on the road against Lycoming in Williamsport, PA.

 
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