SAUGERTIES, N.Y. –  A comeback for the ages in game one of a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader on Sunday at Cantine Park helped the State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team split with SUNY Plattsburgh. The Hawks won game one, 9-8, in eight innings before falling, 10-5, in the nightcap.

It marked the Hawks' final home games of 2015, as even if they qualify for the SUNYAC Tournament, it will be hosted by either No. 1 SUNY Cortland or SUNY Oswego.

New Paltz 9, Plattsburgh 8 (8 inn.)

New Paltz mounted an improbable comeback in game one, crawling out of an 8-0 hole by scoring eight unanswered runs before producing a walk-off hit in the bottom of the eighth.

Plattsburgh seized a 2-0 lead early with a pair of runs scoring off a single up the middle by sophomore center fielder T.J. Montalbano. The Cardinals surged out to an 8-0 advantage in the fourth, as Plattsburgh scored six runs off six hits and one error. The Hawks got on the board in the home half of the fourth, as freshman right fielder Ryan Bowser (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) drove in a run off a sacrifice fly.

New Paltz's fifth-inning rally, believe it or not, hinged on a Plattsburgh error with one out. With runners on first and second, the Hawks hit a ball that could have been used to turn a routine, and inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play. However, the Cardinals were unable to play the ball cleanly, allowing the Hawks to load the bases.

That gave senior designated hitter/pitcher Shaun Hansen (Southold, N.Y./Greenport) a shot to make a dent in the deficit, and Hansen came up with the most important hit of his career, blasting a 1-0 pitch over the left-center field fence for a one-out grand slam.

After a walk by senior left fielder Richard Guido (Ulster Park, N.Y./Kingston) and singles by freshman second baseman Chris Amato (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) and Bowser, New Paltz received another huge at-bat, this time from freshman center fielder Jake Williams (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford). With the Cardinal outfielders giving Williams room in right field, Williams slotted a laser in the gap between the right fielder and the right-field line, driving in all three runners with a bases-clearing triple. That base knock tied the score at 8-all, giving the Hawks' hopes at winning the game life.

Following the rally, Hansen came in to pitch, and he continued to play the role of hero, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth before retiring the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Hansen roped a two-out double down the left-field line, bringing Guido to the plate with a runner in scoring position. Guido hit a flair into right field, which wound up being deep enough to push the game-winning run across without much issue.

Two individuals played the biggest role offensively in the Hawks' victory: Williams and Hansen. Williams batted 4-for-5 with three RBI and two triples, while Hansen hit 3-for-5 with four RBI, three runs scored, two doubles and a home run. Guido and Amato also had multi-hit games for New Paltz.

For Plattsburgh, senior pitcher/designated hitter Mike Vargues (2-for-4, two runs scored, one RBI), senior first baseman Chris Pescetti (2-for-5, one RBI, one double) and senior right fielder Nick Lupo (2-for-4, one run scored) notched multiple hits.

Hansen earned the win in relief for New Paltz, yielding just one hit and one walk in three innings of work while striking out two. Plattsburgh's sophomore pitcher Andrew Kramer was tagged with the loss in 3 1/3 frames of relief duty.

Plattsburgh 10, New Paltz 5

The Hawks were unable to muster the magic they summoned in game one, as Plattsburgh scored in six different innings to come away with the 10-5 victory.

The early goings of the contest seemed to favor New Paltz, as sophomore first baseman Anthony Diana (North Amawalk, N.Y./Somers) and junior catcher Tyler Bell (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) each drove in runs in the bottom of the first to give the Hawks the lead after Plattsburgh received a solo shot from Vargues in the top of the first.

The Cardinals got RBI hits from Nick Lupo, sophomore left fielder Billy Rombauts and freshman center fielder Brandon Buksa in the top half of the second before one more came across as a result of a throwing error from the outfield. After Plattsburgh scored one run in the fourth and one in the fifth, New Paltz scored a run in the fifth and sixth innings to cut the deficit to 7-4. Plattsburgh wound up scoring three more runs before sophomore pinch hitterRobert Fitzpatrick (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) drove in freshman pinch hitter Jeff Sarra (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) with an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to spell out the final score.

Williams keyed the Hawk attack by going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two doubles, while Pescetti (3-for-4, two runs scored, one RBI, one double, one triple) and Buksa (3-for-3, three runs scored, two doubles, one RBI) led the Cardinal offense.

New Paltz used five different pitchers in the loss, while senior pitcher Will Flynn picked up the win for Plattsburgh. Freshman pitcher Sean Howard earned the save in three innings of relief.