New Paltz Baseball Drops 12-4 Decision to Alvernia

ASHLAND, VA. – Despite jumping out to an early 1-0 lead, the State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team was outscored 12-3 for the remainder of Saturday's non-conference contest against Alvernia, falling to the Crusaders 12-4 at Randolph-Macon's Estes Park.

The Hawks move to 1-1 and will travel to Johns Hopkins tomorrow for a 1 p.m. start. Alvernia starts the season 1-0.

Offensively, New Paltz managed to crack 11 hits and plated runs in the first, eighth and ninth but were plagued by four errors as Alvernia scored at least two runs in four different innings.

Junior Anthony Pantano (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) and junior Jake Williams (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) both went 3-for-5 at the plate with one RBI and one run scored. Junior Nick DePietro (Carmel, N.Y./Carmel) enjoyed a 2-for-4 day while sophomore Justin Ganca (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore John F. Kennedy) tallied one RBI for the Hawks.

On the mound, sophomore righty Justin Stybel (Bellmore, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) was tagged with the loss, going three innings while scattering six hits and allowing two earned runs. Freshman John LoCurto (Westbury, N.Y./Carle Place) threw three frames out of the pen, striking out three while junior Kyle Eckert (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) and sophomore Michael Delio (Westbury, N.Y./Carle Place) also appeared in relief.

New Paltz grabbed an early 1-0 edge in the top of the first when Pantano ripped a run-scoring single to left, plating DePietro. However, the Crusaders countered with nine unanswered runs to put the Hawks in a 9-1 hole after seven frames.

In the top of the eighth, senior Taylor Anderson (East New Market, Md./Cambridge-South Dorchester) grounded into a double play but Williams was able to score to make the contest 9-2. Trailing 12-2 in the ninth, Williams doubled to center, scoring freshman Matt Warshaw (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot), and Ganca came through with an RBI groundout to second, plating Pantano.