ASHLAND, VA. – Four players accounted for two or more hits as the State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team exploded for 13 runs on 15 hits, giving first-year head coach Arlan Freeman his first win in his first game at the helm on Friday afternoon as the Hawks defeated host No. 10 Randolph-Macon 13-3 in the 2017 season opener.
The Hawks (1-0) will play Alvernia tomorrow at Randolph-Macon with the first pitch slated at 10 a.m. The Yellow Jackets move to 6-1 on the year suffering their first loss to New Paltz this season.
New Paltz fell behind early 1-0 after one inning of play but tallied five runs in the next two frames to take a 5-2 lead. Leading 5-3 entering the seventh, the Hawks ignited for six runs to take a commanding 11-3 lead. Two runs in the top of the ninth wrapped up the scoring barrage. New Paltz was also aided by four errors from the Yellow Jackets.
Offensively, senior outfielder Taylor Anderson (East New Market, Md./Cambridge-South Dorchester) and freshman outfielder Savino Citriniti (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush) led the bats with three hits each while junior catcher Dwayne Page (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) and sophomore first baseman Justin Ganca (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore John F. Kennedy) both enjoyed 2-for-4 performances.
Citriniti, Page, junior second baseman Anthony Pantano (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) and junior third baseman Jake Williams (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) all scored twice. Ganca, Williams and junior designated hitter Chris Moran (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) all drove in two runs each. Senior Anthony Diana launched a pinch-hit solo homer in the top of the ninth to add an insurance run for New Paltz.
On the mound, junior right-hander Conor Donachie (Garden City, N.Y./Chaminade) earned the season-opening nod and hurled 5 1/3 innings, scattering seven hits while allowing two earned runs and striking out three. Donachie forced seven fly outs and five ground outs.
Junior lefty Brian LoRusso (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) came out of the pen and earned the long save, going 3 2/3 frames, striking out four while allowing just one lone hit to the Yellow Jackets.
In the four-run third, Pantano, Williams and Page cracked back-to-back-back run-scoring doubles to give the Hawks a 5-1 cushion.
Again the bats came alive in the top of the seventh as New Paltz plated six runs. Citriniti scored on a wild pitch, Pantano touched home on a passed ball, Ganca ripped a two-run single to center, Moran launced an RBI double down the left field line and Anderson capped off the frame with an RBI single to left center to give the Hawks a commanding 11-3 lead.