CORTLAND, N.Y. – A pitching battle was waged on Saturday afternoon at Wallace Field, as the State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team (18-20, 5-12 SUNYAC) was edged in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader against No. 7 SUNY Cortland (30-7-1, 15-2 SUNYAC). The Red Dragons won game one, 3-2, in 10 innings before blanking the Hawks, 2-0, in the nightcap.

Senior first baseman Jake Cameron (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) scored the first run of the contest in the second, as he came home while Cortland caught sophomore catcher David Lostaglio (Milton, N.Y./Marlboro Central) in a rundown on a pickoff attempt. Neither team scored again until the seventh, and the Hawks made it a 2-0 score after junior shortstop Steven Morse (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) scored on a throwing error following a single by junior third baseman Matt Prescia (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot).

Matt June put the Red Dragons on the board in the bottom of the seventh, scoring Adam Smith with a single through the right side. In the eighth, Bryan Mistretta plated Andrew Pezzuto with a sacrifice fly off a foul out, and that run wound up tying the game.

With the tilt in extra innings, Cortland came up big with two outs in the 10th. After Smith singled and stole second, Mistretta pushed him across with a walk-off single through the left side, and that run gave the home team the ballgame.

Sophomore pitcher Andrew Grann (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) drew the start in game one and did not earn a decision, working 7 1/3 innings. He gave up two runs off 13 hits and four walks while striking out two. Senior pitcher Nick Monaco (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) was the hard-luck loser, surrendering the game-winning run in 2 1/3 frames of relief. He permitted one run off three hits while striking out three.

Aaron Schuldt also received a no decision, working nine frames on the hill for Cortland. He struck out nine while yielding two runs off seven hits, three wild pitches, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Tom Nagy tossed an inning of relief and earned the win, scattering two hits and striking out two.

Prescia keyed the Hawk attack with a 3-for-4 outing at the dish, while junior right fielder Thomas Pinnola (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) (2-for-5, double) and sophomore left fielder Anthony Repetto (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) (2-for-4) also had multi-hit performances. Brian Barry, with his 3-for-4 showing at the plate, led a group of six Red Dragons with multiple hits.

Neither team could muster much offense in the back end of the twinbill, but both Michael LaTempa (2-for-2) and P.J. Rinaldi (2-for-3) had multiple hits to propel the Cortland attack. Prescia accounted for all three New Paltz hits, going 3-for-3.

LaTempa drove in John Adornetto in the first with a double to right center, while Mistretta blasted a solo home run to left in the second to provide the margin of victory.

Junior pitcher Chris Chismar (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) was saddled with the loss, giving up two runs off six hits, two walks and a wild pitch while striking out six. Ray Angelucci tossed a complete-game shutout for Cortland, scattering just three hits and issuing three walks while striking out five.

The two teams will complete the series tomorrow afternoon at Wallace Field in a nine-inning, single-game affair at noon. It will mark the final game of the 2012 season for the Hawks.