NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team (13-14, 9-6 SUNYAC) took the lead for good in the third when three straight two-out hits gave the Hawks a two-run advantage, eventually leading to a 6-4 decision over SUNY Plattsburgh (9-18, 4-9 SUNYAC) in Friday's State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) matchup at Loren Campbell Memorial Field.
 
With two outs and the game tied at three in the third, senior third baseman Matt Prescia (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) sparked a rally with a single. Junior designated hitter David Lostaglio (Milton, N.Y./Marlboro Central) then blasted a double to the warning track in right field to bring Prescia around to score and give the Hawks the lead. Senior catcher Matt Kaldon (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central) got in on the action as well, hitting a hard line drive into left field for another base hit that scored Lostaglio from second to give New Paltz a 5-3 lead that it would never surrender.
 
The Hawks took the lead early in the contest before the Cardinals were able to tie things up. Senior center fielder Matt Carr (Westbury, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran) singled to lead off the Hawks' first at bat of the game, and then quickly followed with a stolen base. After moving up to third on junior second baseman Kenny Gentile's (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) groundout, Carr came around to score on senior left fielder Anthony Repetto's (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) single up the middle in the next at bat.
 
Still with one away, the Hawks loaded the bases after a walk and another hit. In his first at bat of a big afternoon, Lostaglio roped a double down the right field line to plate two more Hawk runs and leave New Paltz with an early 3-0 lead.
 
Plattsburgh scored its first run of the day before recording a base hit. In the top of the second, New Paltz starting pitcher Chris Chismar (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) walked the first two batters of the inning before recording an out. He walked another after the first out to load the bases. Right fielder Nicholas Lupo then hit a long fly ball to center field, deep enough to allow first baseman Chris Pescetti to score from third for the first Cardinal run of the afternoon.
 
The Cardinals got their first hits in the third inning, and a string of them proved costly for the Hawks. Four straight hits to open the inning led to two Cardinal runs that tied the game. Shortstop Brian Latulipe dropped a double down the left field line to bring in the first run of the inning. Pescetti immediately followed with a single to left to tie the game, but Chismar worked his way out of trouble with a lineout followed by a double play.
 
After New Paltz took the lead again in the bottom of the third, neither team was able to score again until the sixth inning. Lupo picked up his second RBI of the day in the top of the inning on a groundout to second that scored designated hitter Casey Brighton to cut the deficit to a run.
 
Lostaglio stepped up again in the seventh to give the Hawks some breathing room down the stretch. With runners on the corners, he stroked a single to center, scoring Repetto and providing New Paltz with a two-run cushion and eventually the 6-4 victory.
 
Lostaglio went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI in the win. Repetto batted 2-for-4 on the afternoon, scoring twice and knocking in another. Prescia also went 2-for-4 and scored a run, and Carr stole two bases in a 1-for-4 effort.
 
Center fielder Luke Weaver and third baseman Shane Houppert each went 2-for-5 with a run scored for the Cardinals. Pescetti reached base four times, going 1-for-1 with three walks, a run scored and an RBI.
 
Chismar grabbed the win despite the rough outing. He tossed 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on four hits and seven walks while striking out three batters. Junior relief pitcher John Schmidt (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) picked up his second save of the year after going 3.1 scoreless innings in relief.
 
Scott Orr shouldered the loss for Plattsburgh. He yielded five runs on 10 hits across 5.1 innings of work.
 
The Hawks and Cardinals match up again tomorrow, April 20. A doubleheader at Loren Campbell Memorial Field is scheduled to begin at noon. Tomorrow is also Wounded Warrior Project Day, and a ceremony recognizing and honoring our veterans will precede the doubleheader. General admission tickets will be sold for $5 for the twinbill. All veterans and active duty military will be admitted free of charge. All proceeds for tomorrow's activities will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project to help support a full range of programs and services for this generation of injured veterans and their families.