POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — Sophomore center fielder Jeff Cote’ (Mechanicsburg, MD) doubled three times to lead a 15-hit attack in a 6-5 win at Vassar this afternoon.
The Hawks (9-16) capitalized on four Brewer errors to score four times in the top of the fifth. Sophomore first baseman Matt Zajdel (Agawam, MA) had a run scoring single to put the Hawks ahead 2-1. A throwing error by Vassar right fielder Kristaps Aldins allowed freshman Justin Buonamano (Royersford, PA) to advance to third on Zajdel’s single. Then freshman shortstop George Perry (Port Jervis, NY) reached on error allowing Buonamano to score to make it 3-1. The Hawks added two more unearned runs in the inning to move in front by four runs.
Vassar chipped away at the SUNY New Paltz lead with single runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth to make it 5-3. The Hawks added what proved to be a critical run in the top of the eighth when freshman third baseman John DeKams (Kings Park, NY) singled home Cote’ to make it 6-3. Vassar came back with two in the bottom of the eighth to make it a one-run game but couldn’t pull any closer.
Six SUNY New Paltz pitchers combined to allow five runs and nine hits. Freshman Greg Campo (Staten Island, NY) started and went the first three innings. He allowed three hits, gave up an unearned run and struck out one. Sophomore Andrew Raphael (Brooklyn, NY) earned his third win of the year with an inning of one-hit ball. Senior Jesus Estaba (Brooklyn, NY) pitched the ninth to earn his first save of the year.
DeKams was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Sophomore designated hitter Pete Esposito (Brooklyn, NY) was 2-for-4 with a run batted in. The top four hitters in the Hawks line up combined to go 9-for-19 with three runs scored and two RBI’s.
