AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Sophomore second baseman/shortstop Anthony Pantano (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to add insurance in the State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team's 8-4 win over the College of Mount Saint Vincent in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational action on Monday afternoon.
 
In addition, New Paltz received a virtuoso performance from sophomore pitcher Luke Christy (New York City, N.Y./NYC Lab High School for Collaborative Studies), who went the distance for the Hawks while striking out 16 batters. Christy's 16 strikeouts are the most for a Hawk pitcher in a single game since Chris Chismar struck out 20 against SUNY Oswego back on April 19, 2010. Christy pounded the strike zone, throwing 95 of his 139 pitches for strikes. He also yielded four runs off 10 hits and two hit by pitches in the winning effort, moving to 1-0 on the year.
 
The Hawks rise to 6-4-2 overall and have now won four of their past five games. They continue their week at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational tomorrow with a 12 p.m. doubleheader against Hope College. Mount Saint Vincent drops to 1-5 and will play Elmhurst College tomorrow in a doubleheader at 12 p.m. 
 
With the score tied at 4-all and with two outs in the top of the eighth, sophomore pinch hitter/right fielder Brian LoRusso (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) scored on a single up the middle by sophomore right fielder/left fielderNick DePietro (Carmel, N.Y./Carmel) to hand New Paltz the advantage and place runners on second and third. Pantano stepped up to bat and swung at the first pitch he saw, smacking a homer to left field to bring in three runs to cement what ended up being an 8-4 victory for New Paltz.
 
The Dolphins put up two runs in the top of the third to take the lead, but New Paltz would cut the score to 2-1, as sophomore center fielder Jake Williams (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) scored on a Mount Saint Vincent throwing error in the top of the fourth. Freshman shortstop/third baseman Ryan Frost (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) tied the game in the top of the fifth, driving in junior left fielder Taylor Anderson (East New Market, Md./Cambridge-South Dorchester) with an infield single.
 
The Hawks extended their lead to 4-2 in the top of the sixth, as Williams scored on an RBI single by senior pinch hitter/catcher Tyler Bell (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) before senior pinch runner/second baseman Kyle Gilligan(Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) touched home on a groundout
 
Mount Saint Vincent rallied in the home half of the seventh, as senior second baseman/first baseman Keith Schroeher plated two runs off a single through the right side to knot the tally at 4-all.
 
All told, New Paltz pounded out 13 hits in the game and did not commit any errors.
 
Pantano led the Hawk offense by going 3-for-5 with three RBI, one run scored and a home run. Williams and DePietro each batted 2-for-5, with Williams scoring twice and DePietro coming around to score once. DePietro also drove in a run. Sophomore center fielder Matthew Nesensohn keyed the Dolphin attack, batting 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
 
Mount Saint Vincent used three pitchers in the setback, with sophomore starting pitcher Michael Kochen shouldering the loss in 7 2/3 frames of duty. Kochen gave up six runs (four earned) off 11 hits, two walks and a hit by pitch while striking out two.