Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

West Harrison, NY (Mar. 23, 2013) – It's been a long road to win No. 100, but head coach Bill Guerrero couldn't help but smile Saturday afternoon at Silver Lake Park in West Harrison following an historic game-one win for the Panther manager.

The longtime Purchase skipper, who started the program from scratch as a club sport back in 2003, built the foundation for a winner piece-by-piece, and the Panthers as they stand today are a direct result of hours, days and months of recruiting, coaching and teaching the game of baseball – something Guerrero holds dear to his heart as a former high school and college player, and a longtime coach across many levels of America's Pastime.

All of those moments flashed through Guerrero's mind on Saturday, as the backdrop for the Panthers' 7-1 game-one win featured Guerrero's memorable 100th career victory – something he joked any first-year coach could only fathom when you start a program in year one.

“Those first few seasons, there are plenty of growing pains, but little by little, you start to see improvements,” explained Guerrero, who also guided Purchase to a 5-0, game-two win. “The talent level of the recruits grow, the schedule improves, you make the playoffs for the first time, and all of a sudden, you look up and you have a real deal program in place. All of that time commitment starts to payoff. It's been a great journey so far, but we still have a long way to go. I'm very proud of the road and delighted to have No. 100 come at early season home, Silver Lake Park.”

Guerrero has won many games at Silver Lake Park, but Sunday will likely be the last opportunity to pad that count, with the Panther baseball team shifting back to the grass campus field for the remainder of the home schedule, and the program breaking ground on Purchase's new on-campus turf field complex on Apr. 1, 2013 – the new home for Panther baseball team come the 2013-14 season.  Purchase will host NYU-POLY Sunday. First-pitch is set for noon.

As for Saturday, Guerrero's No. 100 and No. 101 victories were sealed by his two aces, brothers Matt and Mitchell Paz. Matt Paz* (SR/Bridgeport, CT) improved to 3-1 in game one, tossing eight terrific innings of one-run baseball. He allowed only one earned run, scattering eight hits over eight frames, while striking out four. Closer Kevin McQuade (SR/Mamaroneck, NY) slammed the door in the ninth, striking out the side. McQuade would then pitch the seventh and final inning of game two, striking out two of three for a total of five of the six batters on the afternoon.

Mitchell Paz (SO/Bridgeport, CT), a strong-armed lefty, matched his hard-throwing, right-handed brother Matt, in dominating Maritime in game two of the twin bill. He struck out three over six innings – a near complete-game performance for the second, seven-inning matchup of the doubleheader. He allowed two hits in his first game since tossing a five-inning no-hitter last week. The two Paz brothers earned wins on the afternoon, with Mitchell improving to 2-1.

Offensively, the Panthers totaled 11 hits in the opener, scoring two runs in the third, one in fourth, three in sixth and one in the eighth. Maritime scratched across a run in eighth and were paced by Joey Semler, who drove in the run. The Privateers would limited to only three hits in game two.

Purchase was led in the opener by Michael Skoller (JR/East Meadow, NY), Ronald Echavarria (SR/Bronx, NY) and John Jonas (JR/Goshen, NY). Echavarria collected three hits, scored a run and drove in one. Skoller, who notched two hits and one RBI, like Echavarria, doubled in game one. Phil Georges (SR/Brooklyn, NY) also doubled in the win. Jonas added two hits of his own for the Panthers, who went onto a comfortable 7-1 win.

Game two was highlighted by a game-changing inside-the-park homerun from Robert Robles (SO/Bronx, NY) in the fifth. Robles smashed a liner down the right field line and came all the way around to score, breaking the scoreless tie. Purchase would add four more insurance runs in the sixth. Skoller doubled and scored one of those runs, while teammates Justin Sherman (SR/New Rochelle, NY) and Echavarria collected two hits apiece.

Robles was the hitting star of game two, notching three hits in helping Purchase to complete the sweep. Jonas also kept swinging a hot bat, collecting two more RBI and a triple.

Purchase finished the afternoon at 7-5 overall and is now 2-0 in Skyline Conference play after taking the league opener on Saturday.

NOTES: With the bases full in game two, Purchase turned a beautiful 6-4-3 double play, with Josh Spielberg (SR/Oceanside, NY), Michael Sarni (SR/Shelton, CT) and Daniel Stroud (SR/Nyack, NY) helping Paz keep the game scoreless … Sarni stole two bases in game one … Skoller, Echavarria, Robles, Jonas and Colin Morris (SR/Bridgeport, CT) also stole bases in game one … Robles added another stolen base in game two … Stroud played very well at first base, making a sparkling play in the field in game one, where he came off the bag to tag a runner.