SUNY New Paltz Athletics

Oswego, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz lost Game 1 of its best-of-three playoff series in the SUNYAC Semifinal round to No. 2 seed Oswego Saturday, 7-2.
 
The Hawks (23-14) out-hit the hosting Lakers (21-14) 11-10 in the game, but stranded 12 base runners throughout the game as they were unable to get timely hitting which allowed Oswego to earn the 1-0 lead in the series.
 
Michael Weed started on the hill for SUNY New Paltz and pitched well. He tossed 6.1 innings, allowed seven hits, three earned runs and five walks, while totaling a career-high 12 strikeouts against 30 batters faced.
 
Oswego got on the board early, leading off the bottom of the first with a double. A passed ball advanced the lead-off runner over before another passed ball allowed the hosts to take a 1-0 lead. The Lakers then had the bases loaded in the second, thanks to a pair of singles sandwiched between a four-pitch walk. A hit-by-pitch allowed another runner to score with Weed getting out of the jam and limiting the damage on a strikeout.  
 
 
Matt Sarni led off the third with a base hit for the Hawks, hoping to generate some momentum, but a double-play grounder to short stalled the frame as Oswego got out of the inning a batter later on a strikeout. The hosts continued to slowly tack on insurance runs and added another in the bottom of the third.
 
The Lakers tallied three-straight hits to lead off the inning, which scored another run, but Weed again closed the door there and stranded two runners in scoring position on back-to-back strikeouts to hold the deficit at 3-0.  
Fabian Apicella led off the fourth with a base hit, toughing out a good at-bat with a single on a full count. He eventually scored thanks to a Tommy Poggi RBI base hit to center field, but again a double play halted momentum and Oswego held onto a 3-1 lead entering the bottom half.
 
SUNY New Paltz's offense couldn't climb out of the rut. The top of the eighth was the closest to a rally, as Johnny McHugh, pinch-hitting for Garrett Grathwohl, got the inning going with a base hit to right. Apicella followed with another single to place two runners on with no outs, but the Hawks couldn't take advantage. Oswego forced a pair of strikeouts and a fielder's choice on a grounder to second to maintain the two-run advantage, which it expanded upon in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Liam Ryan was the new pitcher for SUNY New Paltz, reliving Weed in the seventh and after back-to-back strikeouts to end the frame he struggled with control in the eighth. The Lakers had two on with one out before back-to-back hit-by-pitches scored another run. A two-RBI single to right then plated two more and quickly the cushion was fattened to six as they took a 7-1 lead.
 
Wallace Kirkpatrick kept the ninth inning alive with a two-out walk with Ryan Muskopf following with a base hit before back-to-back wild pitches allowed Kirkpatrick to score, but the frame ended there as a groundout by Apicella closed the game.
 
Apicella led the team offensively, going 3-for-4 with one run and a walk. Kirkpatrick followed, hitting 2-for-3 with a run and two walks. Sarni added two hits and a stolen base, while Poggi went 2-for-4.
 
The two teams will resume their series Sunday with Game 2 scheduled for noon. The Hawks need a win to stay alive in the series with a deciding Game 3 to follow if they do — slated for 3 p.m. The winner of the series will play No. 1 seeded Cortland at SUNY Cortland next weekend, which won their semifinal matchup against No. 4 Oneonta, 2-1 Saturday.  


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