Oswego Sinks Hawks’ SUNYAC Playoff Hopes

OSWEGO, NY — The SUNY New Paltz men’s baseball team, needing two wins, came up short Sunday against Oswego, 3-0 and 12-7.

The doubleheader finally went off without a hitch as the twinbill had been postponed four separate times during the season.

Game one saw a pitcher’s duel between Oswego’s Eric Garippa and New Paltz’s Rich Bizelia (Massapequa, NY). Both hurlers gave up just six total hits. Garippa took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before surrendering singles to Randy Walters (Collierville, TN) and Vinny McAdams (Little Falls, NY). Bizelia kept the game close for the Hawks throwing six solid innings, giving up three runs on four hits.

In game two, a five-run third inning gave the Lakers some breathing room as a 3-2 game swelled to 8-2. The Hawks got two back in the fourth before the Lakers put the game away with two runs in the sixth and two in the seventh. New Paltz managed to plate three in the top of the eighth for the game’s final 12-7 margin. Jim Miner drove in four runs and went 3-for-4 for Oswego.

For the Hawks, Sean Wachter (Miller Place, NY) and Tom Bigler (Brewster, NY) each had three hits.

The losses eliminate the Hawks’ chances of a conference playoff berth. Instead, joining top-seeded Cortland and second-seeded Brockport is Plattsburgh and Oneonta. Ironically, the Hawks went 3-1 against the Cards and Red Dragons this season, outscoring them 44-28 in four games.

Hawk baseball will wrap up its season Tuesday with a nine- inning game at The College of New Jersey beginning at 3:30 p.m.