Cortland Box Score
Brockport Box Score

CORTLAND, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team’s (20-19) 2011 season came to an end Friday afternoon at Wallace Field, as the Hawks lost twice on the opening day of the 2011 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Baseball Championship Tournament. The Hawks lost their first game of the afternoon, 6-1, to No. 7 SUNY Cortland (31-7) before falling, 9-8, to The College at Brockport (25-11).

Freshman left fielder Jimmy Briggs (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) nearly lifted New Paltz to victory over the Golden Eagles in the 4 p.m. elimination game, as he went 3-for-4 at the plate with one run scored and five RBI. His three-run home run in the second gave the Hawks a 4-1 lead, and he robbed a home run in the home half of the seventh with a leaping catch at the left-field fence.

Brockport struck first with two runs in the first and responded to New Paltz’s four-run second with runs in the third and fifth to knot the tally at 4-all. A fielding error in the sixth led to a two-run frame for the Golden Eagles, but the Hawks came right back with a three-run eighth. With junior designated hitter Jake Cameron (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) on second with two outs in the inning, junior first baseman Billy Ruggiero (East Northport, N.Y.) drove in a run with a single to left center, and sophomore catcher Matt Kaldon (Montgomery, N.Y.) then singled to right center. Briggs nearly hit his second homer of the game with a deep fly to left field, but it fell just short of the wall and wound up being a two-run double. By the inning’s end, the Hawks held a 7-6 edge.

New Paltz gave up two walks, two hits and a hit by pitch in the home half of the eighth, and Brockport headed into the ninth with an 8-7 cushion. The Hawks rallied once again, assembling a memorable ninth inning. Junior shortstop Paul Merola (Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y.) walked, and junior second baseman Chris Paulicelli (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) singled up the middle to put runners on first and second with no outs. Senior pinch runner/second baseman Dylan Franco (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) came in to pinch run for Paulicelli, and sophomore right fielder Thomas Pinnola (North Babylon, N.Y.) moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. After Brockport’s Justin McCarthy retired out No. 2 by means of a strikeout, sophomore third baseman Matt Prescia (Oakdale, N.Y.) singled up the middle to plate the tying run. The Golden Eagles made a play at the plate to punch out Franco, and the Hawks had to settle for a tied score heading into the bottom of the inning.

Brockport got two aboard with no outs in the ninth, and a sacrifice bunt moved both in scoring position with Mike Goldstein up. Goldstein blasted a walk-off single over the center fielder’s head to send the Golden Eagles into the 3:30 p.m. elimination game tomorrow against the loser of the noon contest between SUNY Oneonta and Cortland.

Sophomore Michael Pinnola (North Babylon, N.Y.) was shouldered with the loss, working one inning in relief. He allowed a run off two hits and a walk and also struck out one. Freshman Andrew Grann (Oceanside, N.Y.) started on the hill for the Hawks, lasting 6 2/3 innings. He yielded six runs—three of which were earned—off eight hits and two walks. He also struck out four. Freshman pitcher James McKenna (Bohemia, N.Y.) tossed two-thirds of an inning before handing the ball off to M. Pinnola.

Kyle Smith hurled 7 2/3 innings for Brockport and did not earn a decision, allowing seven runs off 12 hits while striking out four. Justin McCarthy was the winning pitcher, throwing 1 1/3 innings in relief.

Beyond Briggs offensively, Merola (2-for-4, one run), Cameron (2-for-5, one run), Prescia (2-for-5, one run, one RBI), Ruggiero (2-for-4, two runs, one RBI) and Kaldon (3-for-4, two runs, one RBI) paced the Hawks. In total, New Paltz pounded out 15 hits. Defensively, however, the Hawks were plagued by four errors, which led to three unearned runs.

For Brockport, Corey Booth (2-for-3, two runs), Max Zimmerman (2-for-4, one run, three RBI) and Goldstein (2-for-4, two runs, two RBI) ignited the attack.

Against the Red Dragons, a one-run first that stood up for four innings did not hold throughout the nine-inning contest, and Cortland relied on timely hitting late to clip the Hawks.

Paulicelli scored in the first by means of a Prescia single to right field, and both teams were scoreless until Cortland plated two in the bottom of the fifth. A Nick Thode RBI single up the middle and a sacrifice fly by Chris Jackson gave the Red Dragons the lead. Despite two hits in the ninth, New Paltz was unable to push across another run, and Cortland advanced unscathed.

Sophomore pitcher Chris Chismar (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) worked 6 2/3 frames and was tagged with the loss, yielding three runs off five hits and seven walks with three strikeouts. Junior pitcher Nick Monaco (Medford, N.Y.) gave up three runs off five hits and one walk in 1 1/3 innings of relief duty.

Mike Assmann gained the win for the Red Dragons, surrendering one run off six hits while striking out one. Brendan Hourihan picked up the save, tossing 1 1/3 innings in relief.

Prescia’s bat was hot, going 4-for-4 to key the Hawk attack. Zack Graczyk went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, and Thode batted 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Cortland offensively.

New Paltz qualified for the SUNYAC Baseball Championship Tournament for the first time since 2001 this year, finishing its season with a 20-19 record and a 9-9 mark in the SUNYAC.