Old Westbury, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz split its non-conference doubleheader on the road against Old Westbury Thursday, coming back to take a six-inning, 12-3 win after a 3-1 loss in Game 1.
 
After an offensive drought in the first game of the afternoon, the Hawks bounced back to record 14 hits in six innings played and took little time getting runs across. Kelsey O'Brien got the game started with a one-out single before getting herself into scoring position with a steal. Ella Sharrock then brought her home with an RBI base hit to shallow center.
 
SUNY New Paltz added three more in the second and third innings to take a commanding, 7-0 lead. The Panthers countered with a run in the fifth, but SUNY New Paltz answered with five in the sixth to take a commanding, 12-1 lead. Serrao started the inning with a lead-off walk before stealing second to put herself in scoring position. O'Brien then got on with a base hit to shallow left and a double steal in the next at-bat allowed Serrao to score. Sharrock then came through with another RBI base hit before Gunsett registered an RBI on a bases loaded walk three batters later to bring the lead to 10-1. Mallory Rohon scored on a wild pitch before Morgan Smith capped the stretch with an RBI single to bring Emmie Mae Cabrera home to create an 11-run cushion.
 
The Panthers added two in the bottom half, but it wasn't enough to extend the game, and the Hawks secured their seventh win of the season to improve to 7-13 overall, while Old Westbury dropped to 8-10.  
O'Brien and Sharrock led SUNY New Paltz offensively. O'Brien went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, including a home run and two stolen bases. Sharrock, meanwhile, finished 3-for-4 with one run and two RBI. Serrao finished 2-for-2 with three RBI, including a triple and a walk and two steals hitting in the bottom of the lineup. Rometo added a hit, run, RBI and walk, while Leah Gunsett added a hit, a run, an RBI and a walk.
 
Gunsett earned the win, pitching five innings and allowing four hits, one run — none earned — with a walk and four strikeouts. Morgan Smith threw the last inning and allowed just two hits, two runs and a walk with one strikeout.
 
SUNY New Paltz suffered a 3-1 loss in Game 1, as its offense sputtered with only five hits while leaving six base runners on throughout the game. Sydney Waldon tossed the full six innings and allowed just five hits, one earned run and four walks with 11 strikeouts.
 
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth with the Panthers leading off with a base hit. The hosts doubled down with another single before a bunt single, coupled with. Throwing error allowed all runner to advance and two to score to give Old Westbury a 2-0 lead. The Panthers added one more in the bottom of the fifth to go up, 3-0 and it wasn't until the top of the seventh for the Hawks to find their first run of the game.
 
Gunsett got the frame started with a lead-off hit-by-pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved Maddie Anderson, who pitch ran for Gunsett, over into scoring position before a ground out got her to third. Serrao brought Anderson home on an RBI single to left to cut the score to 3-1, but SUNY New Paltz couldn't pile on as a line out closed out the 3-1 result.
 
O'Brien, Sharrock, Cabrera, Sophia D'Arcangelis and Serrao were the only Hawks with a hit in the game.
 
SUNY New Paltz is back in action Saturday, facing SUNY Oneonta on the road for a SUNYAC doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

 
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