AUBURNDALE, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team closed out its spring break week at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational with an 8-2 loss to Kalamazoo College on Wednesday morning.
 
The Hawks drop to 8-5-2 and return home to host State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) foe SUNY Plattsburgh on Friday, March 25 at 3 p.m. to kick off a three-game conference series. Kalamazoo improves to 4-4-1 and opens conference play on Friday, March 25 when they host Albion College in a twinbill at 2 p.m.
 
Both teams ended up scattering 10 hits across the game and each committed one error, defensively.
 
The Hornets held the Hawks scoreless through three innings to grab a 3-0 lead before freshman shortstop Ryan Frost (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) singled to bring home sophomore center fielder Jake Williams (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Kalamazoo added two runs in the sixth inning before pushing three runs in the seventh to provide insurance.
 
Williams scored the Hawks' second run in the bottom of the eighth as senior third baseman Andrew DiNardo(Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay-East Fishkill) singled to center field. But the Hornets would ultimately take home the win as they quickly grabbed three easy outs to close the game.
 
Sophomore pitcher Jordan Deitch (Commack, N.Y./Commack) shouldered the loss, allowing four runs off three hits while striking out four in the 4 2/3 innings he pitched. Freshman pitcher Connor Young earned the win, give up one run off seven hits in seven innings.
 
Sophomore catcher Tyler Laco (Commack, N.Y./Commack) went 2-for-4 at the plate while Williams was 1-for-4 with a triple. Junior third baseman Jack Clark posted two runs, one RBI and went 1-for-1 for the Hornets while junior center fielder Ian Kobernick and junior catcher Brett Garwood each tallied two hits in four outings.