Baseball Drops Season Opener

ST. MARY’S CITY, MD — The SUNY New Paltz baseball team opened up their season in Maryland against St. Mary’s today and fell by a score of 24-9. The Seahawks used a 10-run second inning and an eight-run seventh inning to take full command of the game.

The Hawks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as senior right fielder Justin Buonamano’s (Royersford, PA) groundout allowed junior shortstop Jesse Marsh (Marlboro, NY) to score. Another groundout by junior designated hitter Doug Chaputian (Sea Cliff, NY) brought home junior centerfielder Kevin Paino (Wappingers Fall, NY). Marsh reached base on a single, while Paino walked.

St. Mary’s erased its 2-0 deficit in the second with 10 runs on eight hits and only one runner left on base. New Paltz’s starting right-hander John Giuliano (Pine Bush, NY) got junior captain Mike Lance (Eldersburg, MD/Centennial) to fly out to centerfield to end the inning.

Junior right fielder Ryan D’Antuono (Ellicott City, MD/Howard) paced SMCM as D’Antuono went 4-for-5 at the plate with a pair of triples, four RBI and four runs scored. Junior leftfielder Josh Feldman (Bethesda, MD/Walt Whitman) also had a strong showing for the Seahawks, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs.

The Seahawks tallied at least a run in innings three through six before knocking in eight on eight hits in the bottom of the seventh.

Junior catcher Robert Helf (Peconic, NY) was 3-of-4 at the plate with an RBI single in the sixth inning to pace the Hawks. New Paltz notched three runs on four hits in the sixth. John DeKams (Kings Park, NY) was 3-of-5 at the plate and tallied three runs.

Guiliano (0-1) took the loss, allowing 12 earned runs on 12 hits. St. Mary’s finished with 24 runs on 25 hits and made only two errors.