BROCKPORT, NY – the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles baseball team managed to finish the season 12-0 at home and maintained their 24 home game-winning streak after the weekend SUNYAC series sweep of SUNY New Paltz. On Saturday Brockport defeated the Hawks in game 1 of the doubleheader 14-4 followed by a 5-0 shutout in game 2.
 
Senior Day: The Brockport baseball team held its senior day prior to the start of game one where seniors Justin Pangburn, Tom Kretzler, Matt O'Dair, Michael Spulnick, Ryan Voight, Ryan Mansell, Zach Goldberg, Nicholas Pastore, Jake Sisto, Nick Lawlor, and Ryan Mroczka were all honored for their contributions to the program over the course of their time at SUNY Brockport.
 
The Home Run King: In one of the most impressive displays of baseball came from Brockport's home run king Tom Kretzler. Kretzler not only threw six innings on the mound while striking out a total of four batters while only allowing two runs to score but also finished the day 5-6 at the plate with four home runs and a double along with nine RBIs.
 
Putting together an impressive week, in five games, Kretzler went 12-19 with 17 RBIs, 11 extra-base hits, seven home runs, three doubles, and one triple.
 
Kretzler's four home runs today put him at 34 for his career and give him 13 home runs alone this season, a new Brockport baseball single-season program record that was previously held with 10 home runs by Craig Brown (1999) and Glenn Dow (1991). Kretzler cements his legacy as Brockport's home run king by now holding the school all-time (34) and single-season (13) home run records.
 
His next big milestone will be tying the most games played at SUNY Brockport in a career. Tom Kretzler has currently appeared in 169 total games for the Golden Eagles and is just three games away from tying the record of 172 total games played which was set by Max Zimmerman from 2008 to 2011.
 
Game 1
Batting Highlights: Besides Kretzler's 4-4, three home runs, 7 RBI game 1 performance, James Houlahan, Ryan Voight, and Nicholas Pastore both went 2-3 in game one as Houlahan would record a double and three RBIs. Pastore, Jason Mansell, Zach Eldred, and Ryan Mansell would also record RBIs in game one. Eldred, Spulnick, and Pangburn would all record hits as well.
 
Pitching Performance: Kretzler (5-2) would get his seventh start of the season as he only allowed one earned run through six innings of work striking out a total of four batters. Brian Doherty would then come into relief in the top of the seventh where he allowed two runs while recording two outs before it would take Jake Jempty just one pitch to end the game on a routine infield fly ball that he took himself.
 
Scoring Summary: Brockport jumped out to the early lead with Kretzler 2 RBI home run in the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the second Jason Mansell would drive in Matt O'Dair off a single before Houlahan would drive in two runners to make it a 5-0 ball game. Still in the bottom of the second Kretzler would hit his second home run of the day on a three-run shot to left field. Eldred would record another RBI in the 2nd to give Brockport a 9-0 lead early on.
 
Brockport would go on to score four more runs in the bottom of the third including Kretzlers third home run of the day on another 2 RBI shot this time to deep center field making it 13-0.
 
New Paltz would score in the top of the fifth only for Nicholas Pastore to answer back in the bottom half with an RBI single. With a 14-1 lead, New Paltz would score a combined three runs in the sixth a seventh inning to finish the game with a final score of 14-4 in the Golden Eagles' favor.
 
Game 2
Batting Highlights: Brian Tietjen went 2-4 in game two with the Golden Eagles' most hits. R. Mansell, O'Dair, Kretzler, Pastore, Eldred, Voight, and David Belsito all received hits in the game with Pastore hitting a double and Kretzler a home run.
 
Shutout Performance: Matt McGowan (3-1) recorded his third win of the season in his seventh appearance on the mound. He pitched a complete nine-inning shutout game where he tied a career-high 10 strikeouts which he did in his first complete-game shutout against Oneonta on April 5th, 2022. Against the Hawks, he only gave up four hits, one hit by a pitch and no walks.
 
Scoring Summary: It wouldn't be until the fourth inning that the Golden Eagles would get on the board as Ryan Mansell delivered a 2-RBI single to make it a 2-0 game before Kretzler drove in Mansell off his fourth home run of the day. Ryan Voight would then deliver an RBI single to score Zach Eldred for the Golden Eagles' only runs in the game to finish game 2 with a final score of 5-0.
 
What's Ahead: The Golden Eagles will look to continue their six-game winning streak on the road next weekend when they will travel to Plattsburgh State for the final weekend of the regular season in a three-game SUNYAC Series showdown. Game one will take place on Friday at 3:00 pm. Game 2 will take place in a seven-inning game at 12:00 PM with game three scheduled for Saturday around 3:00 p.m.