Cortland, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz began the SUNYAC Tournament Thursday on the campus of top seeded SUNY Cortland, playing No. 3 seed Oswego in its opening game of the postseason.
 
The Hawks didn't have much of an answer to Lakers ace of Jacob Sanders, garnering five hits and leaving four runners on and as a result fell, 3-1 pushing them into the loser's bracket in a single elimination game against No. 4 seed Oneonta Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
It was a pitching duel between Sanders and SUNY New Paltz ace Michael Weed who threw a complete nine-inning game, giving up just nine hits, three earned runs and three walks with eight strikeouts on 40 batters faced. The difference was a two-run home run in the first inning.
 
After giving up a lead-off double, Weed worked back into both counts to get back-to-back strikeouts to nearly get out of the jam. However, Oswego's Daniel Winchester turned on a ball that sailed over the left field wall to give his team a 2-0 lead. Weed struck out the next batter to end the side.
 
SUNY New Paltz strung together some offense in the second, as Wallace Kirkpatrick registered a base hit on the first pitch he saw to get on with no outs. Fabian Apicella followed with a single to shallow center, but the Hawks couldn't take advantage. Sanders got Alex Ouellette swinging on a full count before forcing Matt Sarni into a ground out to hold onto the shutout.
 
 
Tommy Kreider was the only Hawk to get the best of Sanders for consecutive at-bats. After earning a five-pitch walk in the first, Kreider followed up with his seventh home run of his career, as he lifted the second pitch he saw over the right field fence to cut the deficit in half on the solo shot. Michael Ascanio kept the inning alive with a good at bat, walking on a full count and ultimately landing on third following a stolen base and passed ball, but SUNY New Paltz again were not serendipitous with runners in scoring position as a foul out shut down the threat and held the Laker lead.
 
After six quick outs from both sides got through the fourth, Kreider was the Hawks' next hit of the game as he knocked a tailing single to shallow center for his second hit of the game, but the threat was quickly ended as he got picked off at first to end the fifth. Robert Gregroy was the last hit of the afternoon for SUNY New Paltz, coming in to pinch-hit for Ouellette in the seventh. The sophomore fouled off a pitch before pulling a hard grounder deep in the gap through the left side. Oswego made a play on the ball but couldn't get a throw off as Gregory reached safely. However, the inning ended on another pick-off, as Sanders got Gregory at first.
 
SUNY New Paltz's offense was halted there, as the Lakers got six-straight outs while adding an insurance run in the ninth to close out the Day 1 postseason win. The victory sets up a matchup between top seeded Cortland and Oswego Saturday.
 
Kreider was two of the team's five hits, going 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI, a stolen base and a walk. Kirkpatrick, Apicella and Gregory each had a hit with Ascanio registering a walk and a stolen base with the Hawks' only extra base hit coming off of Kreider's third-inning homer.
 
SUNY New Paltz resumes SUNYAC postseason action Saturday in hopes of defending its conference title. The Hawks need to continue to win out to accomplish that goal, as a victory over the Red Dragons Saturday allows them to advance onto Game 5 against either Cortland or Oswego.


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