PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Trailing 10-7 after seven frames, the State University of New York at New Paltz constructed an eight-run eighth inning to come from behind and earn its first win of 2015, defeating Lancaster Bible 15-10 on Monday afternoon.
The Hawks pounded out 16 hits, including six in the eight-run eighth inning outburst. Leading the way offensively with three hits apiece was junior catcher Tyler Bell (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip), senior second baseman Stanley DeLaCruz (Bronx, N.Y./High School of International Business and Finance) and senior third baseman Mike Sparacino (Commack, N.Y./Commack). Bell and DeLaCruz both scored three runs each.
Senior Shaun Hansen (Southold, N.Y./Greenport), who was credited with the win out of the bullpen, drove in three runs. At the bottom of the order, both sophomore left fielder Anthony Diana (North Amawalk, N.Y./Somers) and freshman right fielder Jake Williams (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) collected two hits, two runs and two RBI in the eight and nine spots.
Sophomore right-hander Luke Schuessler (Highland Mills, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) earned the start and threw four and 1/3 innings, striking out five Chargers. Senior southpaw Jesse Vahamonde (Huntington, N.Y./Harborfields) spun three and 1/3 frames out of the pen and struck out three.
The Hawks move to 1-4 and will now complete their suspended game from Saturday evening against Heidelberg tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., trailing 8-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Following the conclusion of the game, New Paltz will battle Denison at approximately 10 a.m. Lancaster Bible falls to 0-3 and will prepare to face the Hawks again on Thursday, March 19 at 11 a.m.
New Paltz surrendered four runs in the top of the second but would go on to plate three in the third to inch within one, 4-3. However, Lancaster Bible tallied four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to jump out to a 10-7 lead before the huge rally by the Hawks guided New Paltz to its first victory of the young season.
Sparacino cracked a two-out, two-run single in the fifth while Williams ripped an RBI triple in the sixth. Senior center fielder Richard Guido (Ulster Park, N.Y./Kingston) picked up a sacrifice fly RBI to round out the scoring in the sixth frame for New Paltz.
In the big eighth inning explosion, Guido led off with a single and stole second. After a Bell walk, DeLaCruz cracked an RBI single followed by Hansen who drove in a pair with a double. Hansen eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Diana picked up a two-run single, plating freshman left fielder Chris Moran (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) and Sparacino. Wiliams followed suit with his second triple of the day to score Diana. Bell rounded out the outburst with a run-scoring base knock. After allowing a base runner to begin the top of the ninth, Hansen mowed down Lancaster Bible to give New Paltz win number one on the year.