Box Score
Purchase, NY (Apr. 17, 2014) – The Panthers fell to Western Connecticut State 9-3 in a nine-inning affair Thursday at home.
Purchase (11-9) found themselves in a 5-1 hole in the top of the third inning following a slow start.
Starter Frank Fantino (JR/Nanuet, NY) pitched two innings and walked six batters. He was then replaced by reliever Andrew Fingerhut (FR/Smithtown, NY). After Fingerhut gave up four runs to a powerful non-conference opponent, Jacob Vazquez (FR/Cortlandt Manor, NY) took the mound for three frames before Teofilo Ramirez (SO/Queens, NY) finished the game, tossing a scoreless eighth inning.
Panther second baseman Michael Sarni (SR/Shelton, CT) tried to advance the hometown cause in the third inning, stealing two bases. He would come around to score on an RBI triple by Elan Trischitta (JR/Saugerties, NY), who was later brought in by Ronald Echavarria (SR/Bronx, NY), which cut the deficit to 5-3.
But with the Panthers back in the game, WestConn forged forward thanks to some miscues in the field. After an error in the outfield, the visitors converted two runs of their own in the next inning. Another error near third base plated one more runner for an 8-3 margin.
Trischitta, who played well in the loss, had a single to right field to start the bottom of the inning after Purchase held WestConn scoreless in the sixth. The Panther first baseman got to third, but could not score.
From that point on, neither team could take advantage of scoring opportunities and the score remained 9-3.
In defeat, the highlight players for the Panthers were Trischitta and Echavarria. The first baseman went 2 for 4 on the afternoon, including the triple in the third inning. Echavarria, the designated hitter, collected two hits, including a triple.
The top contributors for WCSU (13-9) were James Annello and Bobby Coyne. The catcher went 3 for 5 with three RBI and a double. The shortstop went 2 for 5 with an RBI and a double.
The first-place Panthers are at it again tomorrow, when reigning champion Farmingdale State comes to Purchase for a conference doubleheader. First pitch for the matchup of league heavyweights is set for 3 p.m.
