Baseball Splits with Blue Devils; Donohue Holds Fredonia Scoreless for First Conference Win

Senior Jimmy Donohue (Deer Park) held the Blue Devils scoreless in the nightcap as the Hawks earned a 2-0 win and snapped an eight game losing skid. New Paltz fell to Fredonia 22-11 in the first game and stand at 3-14 on the season and 1-3 in conference play.

Donohue pitched a complete game and allowed only five hits while striking out six batters. First year Paul Merola (Cornwall) led the Hawks at the plate going 3-4 and scoring both runs. Dylan Franco (Croton on Hudson/Croton Harmon), senior Tyler Terlecky (Binghamton) and Matt O’Neill (West Chester, PA/Henderson) each tallied one hit for New Paltz.

In the first inning, Merola doubled to center field and advanced to third on a bunt by Chris Paulicelli (Lindenhurst) and reached home an a Blue Devil error for the 1-0 lead. Both teams were held scoreless for the five innings before the Hawks added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh. Merola hit his second double of the game and advanced to third on a bunt before scoring on a passed ball.

In the first game of the day, New Paltz totaled 13 hits and left eight runners on base while committing seven errors in the field. First year Mike Sherlock (Liverpool/Cicero North) was 3-4 with two runs scored and five RBI. Sherlock hit a single, double and his first collegiate homerun. Paulicelli and Devin Scalabrini (Peekskill/Mahopac) each went 2-4 with two runs scored as Paulicelli also drove in two runs scored. O’Neill went 2-5 with two RBI and Terlecky and Michael Marash (Cortlandt Manor/Hendrick Hudson) each drove in a run scored. Eric Holzapple (Hicksville) took the loss on the mound for the Hawks.

Fredonia was up 3-0 before the Hawks tallied an unearned run in the bottom of the second. New Paltz evened the game at 3-3 in the third on four hits including and RBI singles by Terlecky and Sherlock. The Blue Devils responded with three runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth for a 10-3 lead. New Paltz registered seven runs on three hits and three Fredonia errors in the fifth to tie the game 7-7. O’Neill hit a two-run RBI double to left field and Sherlock had a three run homerun.

The Hawks only other run of the game came in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Sherlock. The Blue Devils scored four runs in the sixth, three in the seventh, four in the eighth and one in the ninth for the 22-11 final.

New Paltz returns to action on Thursday April 2nd when they host CCNY in a non-conference match up at 3:30 pm. The game schedule against Vassar for April 1st has been canceled due to a conference conflict for the Brewers and a makeup date has not been decided upon.