YAPHANK, NY (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) - The SUNY College at Old Westbury baseball team (0-6) returned to the diamond Friday afternoon after last taking the field on February 23, battling the No. 4/6 Ithaca Bombers in a non-conference doubleheader at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, New York. Ithaca (2-0) opened its season by picking up a pair of wins after taking the opener 1-0 followed by a 2-0 final in game two.
Panther starter Arismendy Nunez retired his first 14 batters faced before allowing a two-out single to Brian Burns in the fifth inning. Nunez regrouped and sat down his next three to enter the seventh inning. In the seventh, a lead off John Stanley single set the table. Stanley advanced over to second on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, an error by second baseman Mike Cardino allowed Ithaca to load the bases for Burns, who lifted a sacrifice fly out to center to score Stanley for the eventual game-winner.
Jacob Coners (1-3) led of the game with a single and Jonathan Pagan (1-3) collected a single in the seventh inning for Old Westbury's offense in the opener.
Nunez (0-2) was dealt the hard luck loss, tossing seven solid innings of two-hit ball, striking out four with zero walks while being charged with one unearned run on two hits. Ithaca's John Prendergast (1-0) claimed the two-hit complete game shutout with three strikeouts.
In the finale, a two-out Cooper Belyea RBI single got Ithaca off to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning. Matt Connolly scored the initial run after doubling to reach base as the Bombers produced their lone hits of the game. Kevin Licul's (1-3) single spoiled David Jasukonis' no-hit bid in the fourth inning. Ithaca tacked on its final run in the fifth off a fielding error by third baseman Jesse Matos, which allowed Tim Henry to score the unearned run from third. Coners (1-3) collected Old Westbury's other hit in the sixth inning with a leadoff single to extend his hitting streak to six games.
Perez (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks while striking out one in 4.2 innings of work. Relievers Caleb Olesen and Alex DiSanto combined to close out the final 2.1 innings with perfect ball.
Jasukonis (1-0) picked up the two-hit shutout by striking out five and dealing out two free passes.
#2 SOUTHERN MAINE HUSKIES, WESTERN NEW ENGLAND GOLDEN BEARS UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: Old Westbury returns to the diamond on Sunday (March 9) for a non-conference battle with the No. 2 Southern Maine Huskies at 10 a.m. followed by the Western New England Golden Bears at 4 p.m. from Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, New York.
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