New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz split its doubleheader against visiting Plattsburgh Friday on Loren Campbell Field to earn the season series on Senior Day.
 
The Hawks lost Game 1, 11-4 but came back in dominating fashion in Game 2 with all 10 seniors appearing in the victory as the team concluded their SUNYAC regular season schedule with a record of 11-7 while moving their overall record to 22-13.
 
SUNY New Paltz dropped the first game of the afternoon after taking the initial lead in the bottom of the first. The Hawks nearly tacked on another run in the second on a tailing double into the right field gap by senior Matt Sarni that was about to score Muskopf from first. Muskopf rounded the base, but got tripped up in the grass which allowed the Cardinals to get the cutoff throw home and put the tag down to end the side.
 
The momentum shifted into the top of the third where Plattsburgh took the lead thanks to a double to center following a walk to start the frame. Michael Weed replaced starter Kiran Paingankar on the hill after just 2.2 innings of work, but Weed succumbed a run following an RBI single to shallow left that platted another run.
 
Wallace Kirkpatrick was patient as he worked a full count walk and was rewarded on a bomb to the center field by senior Fabian Apicella. Kirkpatrick easily scored and Apicella hustled around the bases for his first triple of the season to tie the score at 2-2.
 
 
The fifth inning essentially determined the game, however, as the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs for Austin Caldwell who struck the second pitch he saw well over the left center wall for a grand slam to push his team up, 6-2. Plattsburgh never trailed from that point forward and held on for the comfortable, 11-4 victory.
 
SUNY New Paltz out-hit the Cardinals in the game, 14-12 but left 10 runners stranded. Apicella was the offensive catalyst, going 3-for-5 with a double and a triple and two RBI. Sarni followed, hitting 3-for-5 with a run and two doubles. Kirkpatrick went 3-for-4 with a run, RBI and a walk to round out the Hawks' top hitters in the contest.  
The offense came through in Game 2 for the hosts, as the Hawks totaled 13 runs batted in on 11 hits with nine different players registering either a hit or run scored in the victory.
 
After Plattsburgh struck two solo home runs to begin the first, SUNY New Paltz earned one back in the bottom half thanks to a bases loaded walk by senior Nico Batkay. The Hawks then broke the game open in the second, scoring six in the inning to create a five-run cushion. Plattsburgh struggled with its control on the hill and hit the first two batters faced in Luca Sieger and Louis Kaleb. Sarni brought Sieger home on a single through the left side before Apicella loaded the bases. Grathwohl platted a run on a hit-by-pitch before Joe Scarabino ripped a double to the gap in right center to add two more. Batkay then came through again lifting a ball to center for the sacrifice fly and pushing his team's advantage to 7-2 going into the third.
 
SUNY New Paltz added four more in the third, started on a hit-by-pitch by Kaleb followed by a single through the left side by Sarni, which set the table for Ryan Muskopf. Muskopf turned on a ball that sailed over the center field fence to bring the lead to 10-2 before Grathwohl added on with homer of his own to extend the advantage, 11-2.
 
The Hawks rolled from there, going up by as many as 11 thanks to a triple through the right field gap by Poggi that brought the score to 14-3. The Cardinals trimmed the deficit back to nine in the nine eventually in the seventh forcing the hosts to close out in nine innings of play.
 
Senior Liam Ryan earned the start and the win, pitching four innings and giving up four hits, three runs and two walks with five strikeouts. Fellow seniors Xavier Zykoff, Jeff Lundstedt and Danny DiEdwards came in for relief to aid in the win with sophomore Connor Catania pitching the final inning.
 
SUNY New Paltz concludes the regular season Wednesday on the road against Western Connecticut State at 3:30 p.m. before beginning SUNYAC play May 1 with the Hawks clinging the No. 3 seed and capturing a record-tying third-straight postseason appearance. Cortland currently sits at No. 1 followed by Oswego at No. 2 with Oneonta and Fredonia fighting for the final playoff spot.  
 

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