Box Score Ithaca, NY – The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team took on Ithaca College in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, May 1 and fell 6-1. The Hawks clinched the No. 3 seed in SUNYAC playoffs over the weekend and are scheduled to start the tournament on Thursday against Oswego State at SUNY Cortland at 3:30 p.m.
 
Sophomore left-handed pitcher James Magnuson got the start on the mound and after a holding the Bomber offense to one run in the bottom of the first, he started to find his rhythm. Magnuson stranded a runner on base in the second and third inning to hold the lead at 1-0 and keep the SUNY New Paltz in the game.
 
With no hits through the fourth inning, junior shortstop Ryan Frost got the bats started in the top of the fifth with a single to left field. Back-to-back mistakes by the pitcher put Frost on third base and senior outfielder Nick DePietro took advantage and hit a sacrifice fly to right field to put the Hawks on the board.
 
However, Ithaca College was able to answer right back with consecutive doubles in the bottom half to push the lead back to two runs at 3-1.
 
Senior first baseman Chris Moran kept his bat hot in the top of the sixth with a single to left field, but SUNY New Paltz was unable to turn it into a rally and entered the seventh inning trailing 5-1.
 
Frost picked up his second single of the day in the top of the eighth and was once again able to put himself in scoring postion, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning.
 
Needing to put together a five-run rally in the top of the ninth to extend the game SUNY New Paltz was able to put two men on base, but couldn't bring them home and dropped the non-conference game 6-1.
 
Frost led the offense going 2-for-3 in the game with a run scored while junior outfielder Danny Campbell and Moran also added a hit each. Magnuson threw 5 2/3 innings while J.T Carroll and Michael Delio combined for 2 1/3 innings in relief allowing only one earned run on three hits.
 
"I was proud of the way our guys battled," said head coach Arlan Freeman. "Their pitcher kept us off balance and the defense got clutch double plays when they needed it. I thought Mags pitched really well and just ended up running out of gas. He gave us a chance to win the game in his first start of the year, but I tip my cap to Ithaca because they played better than us."

SUNY New Paltz travels to SUNY Cortland for the SUNYAC tournament to take on Oswego State in the opening game on Thursday at 3:30. The tournament page can be found here.

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