NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – After trailing 4-0, the State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team (16-10) scored nine unanswered runs to come away with a 9-6 victory over Vassar College (8-13) on Wednesday afternoon in non-conference action at Loren Campbell Memorial Field. The Hawks were outhit, 12-11, but ended up coming up with two extra-base hits and a pair of stolen bases.

Vassar got on the board early, doing so in the first inning off a Dave Robbins RBI single to right center. The Brewers made it a 4-0 game in the fourth, plating three runs off four hits. Parker Werline, Kyle Casey, Liam Lee and Michael Perrone hit in consecutive at-bats, while the final run of the inning came off the bat of Brett Zaziski, who drove in Casey on a fielder's choice.

The Hawks charged back in the bottom of the fifth. Junior third baseman Matt Prescia (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) singled to center field and senior left fielder Mike Sherlock (Liverpool, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) walked to kick off the frame, while sophomore second baseman Kenny Gentile (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) loaded the bags with a single to center field. Junior center fielder Matt Carr (Westbury, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran) pushed across Prescia by means of a sacrifice fly before junior shortstop Steven Morse (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) drove in Gentile and Sherlock with a double.

New Paltz plated three more in the sixth, and the Hawks took the lead. Sophomore designated hitter Jimmy Briggs (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst), Sherlock and senior right fielder Philip Parker (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) each notched an RBI in the frame, and Parker's RBI triple made it a 6-4 ballgame. Strong base running helped New Paltz push across three more runs in the seventh, as Carr scored on a wild pitch after two stolen bases, while Prescia drove in both sophomore catcher David Lostaglio (Milton, N.Y./Marlboro Central) and senior first baseman Billy Ruggiero (East Northport, N.Y./St. Anthony's) with a single up the middle.

Vassar got two back in the top of the eighth, as a Zaziski double down the left-field line scored Casey and a Jason Garfinkel sacrifice fly plated Lee, who originally reached due to a fielding error by the second baseman. The Brewers were unable to get anything going in the ninth, as they were retired in order.

New Paltz used seven pitchers, and sophomore James McKenna (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot) wound up being the pitcher of record, lasting two shutout innings to earn the win. McKenna pushed his record to 2-0 with the victory. Senior pitcher Nick Monaco (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) preserved a three-run lead in the ninth to gain his first save of the season. For Vassar, Harrison Remler was tagged with the loss, giving up six runs off six hits over just one inning of relief work.

Offensively for the Hawks, Morse went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double, while Prescia batted 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Vassar received multi-hit performances from Lee (2-for-4, two runs scored, RBI), Robbins (2-for-5, RBI), Werline (2-for-3, two runs scored) and Casey (2-for-3, two runs scored).

New Paltz resumes State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play this weekend, as it travels up to Oswego, N.Y., for a three-game series against SUNY Oswego. The Hawks and the Lakers meet up for a 3 p.m. nine-inning game on Friday, April 13, before squaring off in a doubleheader at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 14.