ONEONTA, NEW PALTZ — Entering the Saturday’s games, the New Paltz men’s baseball team needed at least a win to keep their slim SUNYAC playoff hopes alive. The Hawks were defeated though, twice by the Red Dragons in tight games 4-3 and 5-2. Sunday, the Hawks rebounded with two victories over the Cardinals from Plattsburgh.
On Saturday against Oneonta, neither the Hawks nor the Red Dragons managed a run off of pitchers John Buonamano (Royersford, PA) and Bryant Parker for the first three innings. New Paltz struck first in the fourth on Buonamano’s RBI-single but gave up two in the bottom half of the inning. Paul Schropfer (Glen Oaks, NY) singled in John Behrle (Albany, NY) in the fifth, and Vinnie Perry (Kingston, NY) scored on Ernesto Sosa’s (Santa Domingo, DR) fielder’s choice to bring the Hawks to a 3-2 lead. In the seventh, three outs away from the victory they needed, the Hawks gave up a run to tie the game. Luckily, a Red Dragon batter popped up with two runners on to send the game to extra innings. New Paltz didn’t threaten in the top of the eighth and Oneonta’s Jason Corbin tripled in the bottom of the eighth scoring teammate Rocco Grassi for the win. Buonamano pitched seven full innings giving up eight hits and just two earned runs for the Hawks. Jesus Estaba (Brooklyn, NY) took the loss giving up two hits in 2/3 of an inning.
In game two, the Hawks banged out ten hits but could only muster two runs against the Red Dragons, leaving thirteen runners on base. New Paltz struck first on Ernesto Sosa’s RBI-single in the first before falling behind 5-1 in the fifth. The Hawks got their only other run in the eighth on John Behrle’s RBI-single that scored Jeff Lackaye (Woodstock, NY). Eric Kantner (New Hampton, NY) threw all eight innings for New Paltz in the loss surrendering five runs while scattering fourteen hits.
Against Plattsburgh Sunday, New Paltz exploded for nine runs in the fifth en route to a 16-10 win. New Paltz pounded out seven of their seventeen hits in the inning. Kevin Smith (Niskayuna, NY) paced the Hawks going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI. Tom Bigler (Brewster, NY) was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI, Ernesto Sosa was 3-for 3 with 2 RBI, and Vinnie Perry was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Jimmy Fisher (Bloomsbury, NJ) picked up the win going five innings scattering nine hits.
In game two, Sosa’s three-run shot and Lackaye’s two-run blast in the third was all New Paltz needed as they held on for a 6-4 win over the Cardinals. Up just 5-4 in the sixth, New Paltz picked up a much need insurance run on Randy Walters (Collierville, TN) RBI-single and Chris Schuon (Lake Katrine, NY) held off Plattsburgh in the seventh to pick up his third save. Paul Schropfer picked up the win pitching five innings giving up nine hits.
New Paltz will be back in action again Wednesday at Union at 3:00pm.
