Baseball Falls to Oneonta in ECAC Semi-Final

ONEONTA, NY — The SUNY New Paltz Baseball Team suffered a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to SUNY Oneonta (31-10) in the ECAC Division III Upstate Baseball Semi-Final on Friday May 19th. With the loss, the Hawks finished 20-21 in Coach Juhl’s ninth and final season at the helm.

With bids going out on Monday May 14th, the Hawks had only four days to prepare for their contest with Oneonta.

The game, which was delayed two hours due to rain, was a pitchers duel, featuring both staff aces. New Paltz’s Jeff Stith (Selden, NY/Newfield) pitched into the seventh inning for the Hawks, allowing only three hits and three walks, while striking out three. Oneonta’s Chris Salamida pitched a complete game for Oneonta, allowing only two hits and two walks, while striking out seven. With the win, Oneonta advanced to the final where they lost to Rochester Institute of Technology 7-4 on Saturday May 20th.

New Paltz mounted the first threat to score in the fourth. Josh Gutes (Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge) laced a single to left and advanced on Jeff Cote’s (Mechanicsville, MD/Chopticon) fielder’s choice. With one out, junior John DeKams (Kings Park, NY/Kings Park) smacked a line drive in the hole between third and short, which was gloved by third baseman Anthony Suhadolink who threw to second to complete the double play.

Oneonta threatened in the fifth, with runners at first and third with two outs, but Stith got the third out of the inning enticing Oneonta’s Brian Holmes to fly out to left.

New Paltz appeared to have something going again in the sixth when leadoff hitter Javy Lopez (Selden, NY/Newfield) walked. With Tyler Antrim (East Haddam, CT/Nathan Hale- Ray) sacrifice bunting, Lopez got picked off on a quick move to first base by Salamida.

Oneonta’s lone run came in the seventh inning. A leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt put the go ahead run at second base. With a left-handed pinch hitter coming to the plate, Coach Juhl went to his bullpen and senior left-hander Ryan Schafer (Oceanside, NY/W. Hempstead). Schafer got the second out on a ground ball to second baseman Tyler Antrim advancing the runner to third. The coaching staff shifted the defense and had Oneonta’s catcher Mike Kuratnick played perfectly. On a 1-1 pitch, Kuratnick hit a hard grounder in the hole to short where Danny Garcia (Patterson, NY/Carmel) lost his footing but gloved the ball cleanly. Garcia’s throw pulled senior first baseman Dean Glanzman (Commack, NY/Commack) off the bag and Glanzman’s tag was not in time.

In the eighth inning, the Hawks got a one out single from Glanzman, but the threat was quickly erased as Danny Garcia hit into an inning ending double play.

Both teams went quietly in their last at bat. With the loss, Jeff Stith’s record fell to 6-3. Other records from the contest include Ryan Schafer’s 18th appearance (new record), Bill Kelts (Waterford, NY/CBA) and John DeKams 41st game and 41st start (both new records), and most games played by a team in a season (41).

The Hawks would like to thank all that supported them throughout the season. Have a great summer and we look forward to seeing you support the Hawks in 2007!