Cote’ Launches Hawks to Victory With Longball

FORT PIERCE, FL — A game-winning, two-run homerun, to dead center from senior outfielder Jeff Cote’ (Mechanicsville, MD) gave SUNY New Paltz its eighth win of 2006 in an 8-6 defeat of Grinnell College.

Down 6-4, heading into the bottom of the eighth the Hawks rallied behind their big bats to steal the victory. Freshman second baseman Tyler Terlecky (Binghamton, NY) opened the inning with a single down the left field line. Two batters later, junior shortstop Daniel Garcia (Patterson, NY) followed with a single of his own to knock in Terlecky. With two down and Garcia still on first, Cote’ belted the 1-0 pitch over the 405 ft. sign in straight away center to give SUNY New Paltz (8-7) a one-run edge. Senior outfielder Bill Kelts (Waterford, NY) added an insurance run with a double off the wall in left center, scoring junior pinch-runner George Perry (Port Jervis, NY).

Cote’, Kelts and junior designated hitter John DeKams (Kings Park, NY) ate up the Grinnell College pitching staff, combining to go 6-for-14 (.429) with three extra-base hits and five RBI. Cote’ knocked in three, including the two-run, game-winning bomb, as Kelts recorded three hits in his five at-bats to pick up two RBI on the afternoon. DeKams collected two hits in the affair.

After allowing two runs in the first, senior pitcher Joe Gugliotta (Bayport, NY) settled in, giving up three runs over his last five and a third innings of work. Sophomore pitcher Jeff Overton (Portsmouth, NH) earned his first win of the year facing only two batters in the eighth. Senior pitcher Greg Campo (Staten Island, NY) picked up the save for SUNY New Paltz.

The SUNY New Paltz baseball team will play Grinnell College in a doubleheader on Thursday, March 23, beginning at 3:00 pm. The Hawks will be off tomorrow, Wednesday, March 22 due a postponement.