Virginia Beach, VA — The State University of New York New Paltz continued its opening weekend of the 2026 season with a doubleheader on the road at Virginia Wesleyan Saturday. The men split the day with the hosting Marlins after winning game two of the weekend 18-8 before falling 4-3 in game three.
 
Game 1: Connor Catania started on the mound for the Hawks pitching four innings, striking out one batter, allowing three hits, one walk and three runs. 
 
SUNY New Paltz got the ball rolling early, scoring three runs in the first inning. Fabian Apicella brought Matt Sarni home for run number one with a single early in the lineup. Johnny McHugh batted in both Ryan Muskopf and Apicella with a single down the left field line.
 
The Marlins answered back with two runs in the bottom of the first, staying afloat. 
 
The Hawks extended the lead by one run in the top of the second. Muskopf doubled to right field, sending Apicella across home plate.
 
Wallace Kirkpatrick earned an RBI in the top of the fourth with a single to right center. Sarni crossed home plate for SUNY New Paltz's fifth run of the game. Tommy Poggi singled through the left side bringing Muskopf home and extending the lead, 6-2.
 
Xavier Zykoff headed out to the mound in the bottom of the fifth, pitching 0.2 innings. Zykoff struck out one batter, let up six hits, five runs and one walk. Dylan Hayes joined the game to relive Zykoff, earning the final out of the inning with a swinging strike.
 
Hayes pitched the rest of the three innings and struck out three batters, letting up one hit and earning the win.
 
The Hawks went into the top of the sixth inning down 8-6 but did not stay down for long. With bases loaded, McHugh was hit by a pitch and Muskopf scored. Garrett Grathwohl singled down the left field line and advanced to second on a throw. Kirkpatrick and Poggi scored, putting SUNY New Paltz back up 9-8. After a pitching change, Grathwohl scored as Sarni was hit by a pitch. Muskopf walked which led Tommy Benfer to score the Hawks 11th run. Kirkpatrick doubled to right center, clearing the bases and earned three RBI as the Hawks extended the lead 14-8. 
 
The men scored two more runs in the top of the seventh when Sarni batted in both Louis Kaleb and Benfer with a single up the middle. 
 
The game ended early in the top of the eighth as the Hawks scored their 17th and 18th runs. McHugh doubled to right center, batting in Kirkpatrick and Joe Richetti brought home Poggi with a sacrifice fly to center field.  
 
 
Game 2: Kiran Paingankar started Game 2 for the Hawks, pitching four innings. Paingankar struck out two batters, let up one walk, four hits and one run. 
 
The Marlins struck first, scoring one run in the bottom of the first. Robert Gregory came into the game in the bottom of the fifth inning and pitched two innings. Gregory struck out two batters and let up one walk before being relieved by Johnny McHugh.
 
SUNY New Paltz scored its first runs of the game in the top of the sixth. Kirkpatrick batted in Apicella and Sarni, allowing both men to score off a single to right field. The Hawks led the Marlins 2-1.
 
McHugh came into pitch in the bottom of the seventh, pitching an inning striking out one batter, letting up two runs and two hits. 
 
The Marlins regained the lead, leaving SUNY New Paltz training 3-2. Poggi flew out to right field on a sacrifice fly, bringing Apicella home for the Hawks final run of the game in the top of the eighth. Sarni headed out to the hill at the bottom of the eighth, looking to hold off the Marlin offense. Sarni struck out one batter, let up one run, one walk and two hits across his two innings, earning the loss as Virginia Wesleyan won in a walk off. The game ended with a double down the right field line, batting in the lone Marlin, for the hosts fourth and final run of the game. 

The Hawks return north and head to Union, New Jersey on Friday for a 3.pm. game against Kean University. 

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