ASHLAND, VA — The SUNY New Paltz baseball team opened their 2004 season with a pair of losses, 4-3 and 8-4, against Randolph-Macon College this afternoon. The Hawks fell to 0-2 and the Yellow Jackets improved to 3-6.
In game one, the Hawks collected four hits and used their speed to steal three bases. Freshman pitcher Greg Campo (Staten Island, NY) went five strong innings in his collegiate debut but took the loss by allowing four runs while striking out five.
New Paltz had a chance to tie the game in the seventh inning when senior Silvestre Castro (New York, NY) singled into the right center field gap that brought home sophomores Vinny McAdams (Little Falls, NY) and Josh Gutes (Hauppauge, NY) to bring the Hawks within a run at 4-3 but Castro was thrown out at third base to end the game.
In game two, New Paltz and Randolph-Macon were tied at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the second inning when an error by freshman third baseman John DeKams (Kings Park, NY) opened up the game for Randolph-Macon. The Yellow Jackets would score five unearned runs in the inning to take a 7-2 lead en route to the 8-4 victory.
New Paltz was again a terror on the base path with five stolen bases and DeKams was a tough out as he went 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of doubles.
Head coach Mike Juhl said “one big inning in each game cost us but we feel good about tomorrow’s game and we can get out of here with one win”. New Paltz and Randolph-Macon wrap up their three-game series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm.
