ST. MARY’S CITY, MD — The SUNY New Paltz baseball team dropped a doubleheader to St. Mary’s (MD) in the season opener for both teams this afternoon.
St. Mary’s second baseman Pat Dunty ended the first game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Seahawks a 4-2 win.
Junior Vinny McAdams (Little Falls, NY) led the game off with a single and immediately stole second and third. He would score on wild pitch by freshman Ryan D’Antuono to put the Hawks in front, 1-0. McAdams, who was 2-for-4 in the game, also singled home a run in the top of the fifth to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead.
St. Mary’s tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when senior Matt Engelau scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Chris Segal.
After a scoreless sixth and seventh, the game went into extra innings where Dunty provided the winning blast. Ray Simmons pitched two innings of one-hit ball out of the bullpen to earn the victory.
Freshman Jason Solotaroff (Wappingers Falls, NY) surrendered the game-winning blow by Dunty and suffered the loss. He pitched two innings and gave up four hits while walking two and striking out two. Sophomore John DeKams (Kings Park, NY) started and pitched five innings of four-hit ball. He walked one and struck out four.
The two teams combined for 17 runs and 18 hits in the second game, but the Seahawks prevailed 10-7. Once again, SUNY New Paltz struck early with three in the first and two in the third to build a 5-2 lead after three innings.
St. Mary’s then touched up SUNY New Paltz junior Trevor Bailey (W. Hurley, NY) for four runs in the bottom of the fourth to move in front 6-5. Bailey suffered the loss in his SUNY New Paltz debut. Freshman Michael Virga (Farmingville, NY) came on and pitched the rest of the way. He allowed four runs and four hits in two and two thirds innings.
McAdams was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in the second game. DeKams was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Junior Brian Mills pitched four and a third innings to earn the win for the Seahawks.
The two teams will wrap-up the three game series tomorrow afternoon. Sophomore Greg Campo (Staten Island, NY) will start for the Hawks.
