SAUGERTIES, N.Y. - The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team battled SUNY Oneonta all night on Wednesday in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action, but unfortunately fell to the visiting Red Dragons in 13 innings at Cantine Park.

The Hawks trailed 1-0 after the third inning but knotted the contest at 1-1 in the eighth. Oneonta went back ahead 2-1 in the top of the ninth before New Paltz tied the game with two outs on a throwing error by the Red Dragons' shortstop.

Both teams then went scoreless for the next three extra frames before Oneonta broke through with two runs in the top of the 13th. The Hawks earned another run in the bottom of the frame but could not tie the game back up and fell in the conference clash.

This was the longest game for New Paltz since Feb. 25, 2006 when the Hawks defeated Maryville College 5-4 in 14 innings in Ashland, Va.

With the defeat, New Paltz falls to 4-17, 1-9 in SUNYAC and will prepare to host SUNY Plattsburgh this weekend, April 18-19, for a three-game series. Oneonta, meanwhile, moves to 6-15, 3-7 SUNYAC and will travel to No. 2 SUNY Cortland on Friday and Saturday, April 17-18.

Senior right-hander Tyler Mitts (Nanuet, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) earned the starting nod and threw a solid six innings of one-run baseball, scattering five hits and striking out two. For Mitts, this was the longest outing of his career.

Offensively, New Paltz cracked nine hits as junior shortstop Andrew DiNardo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay-East Fishkill) and sophomore first baseman Anthony Diana (North Amawalk, N.Y./Somers) both registered two hits apiece. Both Diana and freshman Anthony Pantano (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) ripped triples and senior third baseman Mike Sparacino (Commack, N.Y./Commack) stole a pair of bases.

Facing a bases-loaded jam with no outs, Mitts was able to escape unscathed, forcing three-straight fly balls to get out of the second inning. But the Red Dragons got on the board in the third, scoring on a bases-loaded walk with two outs to hand New Paltz a 1-0 deficit.

The contest remained at 1-0 in favor of Oneonta until the bottom of the eighth when freshman Jake Williams(Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) singled to left center and later scored on a DiNardo double to right center to tie the game at 1-1. In the top of the ninth, Oneonta notched a two-out run scoring single to right field to reclaim a 2-1 lead.

Down to their final out in the bottom of the ninth, the Hawks were able to tie the game at 2-2 when freshman Chris Moran (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) reached on a throwing error by Oneonta's shortstop, which scored junior Taylor Anderson (East New Market, Md./Cambridge-South Dorchester).

In the bottom of the 11th, the Hawks threatened to win the game with bases loaded and two outs but were not able to capitalize. In the top of the 13th, the Red Dragons broke the scoring drought by scoring two unearned runs to go ahead 4-2.

New Paltz tacked on a run in the bottom of the 13^th thanks to a Stanley DeLaCruz (Bronx, N.Y./High School of International Business and Finance) sacrifice fly that scored Sparacino, but the Hawks late-inning rally came to a close.

For Oneonta, shortstop Joe Franke went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Starting pitcher James McCarty threw nine frames for the Red Dragons.