Langhorn, PA (April 1, 2014) – In a low scoring affair dominated by pitching on both sides, the Purchase College baseball team came out on the short end of a 3-2 score on the road in Langhorne, PA against host Cairns University.

Pitchers for both Purchase and Cairns came out strong throwing shutouts going into the top of the fourth inning.  Purchase then jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth when designated hitter Elan Trischitta (JR/Saugerties, NY) singled through the left side with one out and then stole second base.   Shortstop Michael Skoller (SR/East Meadow, NY) then walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch with Trischitta advancing to third.  Trischitta then scored the game's first run when catcher John Jonas (SR/Goshen, NY) hit a sacrifice fly to center.

Cairns finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth on Purchase pitcher Adam Brant (SO/Hyde Park, NY).  Cairns catcher Caleb Moore singled to right and then center fielder Caleb Lang tripled to score Moore and tie the game.  Second baseman Kenny Searle followed with a single up the middle with Lang scoring Cairns' second run.  Brant then got DH Eric Hodges to line out to right with Purchase right fielder Jay Ruiz (JR/Bronx, NY) gunning out Searle at first for a double play.   Chris Nast (JR/Pound Ridge, NY) then came on to relieve Brant and got the third out of the sixth inning.

After Highlanders of Cairns pushed across another run in the bottom of the seventh inning, Purchase scored a catch up run in the top of the eighth.  Second baseman Michael Sarni (SR/Shelton, CT) singled and then came home on a double by left fielder Dan Lombardo (FR/Oceanside, NY).  Lombardo was thrown out trying to steal third and Michael Piekarczyk (FR/Dudley, MA) flied out to center field to end the Panther threat. 

The Panthers threated again in the top of the ninth, with Ruiz getting hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.  Ronald Echavarria (SR/Bronx, NY) came on to pinch hit and doubled to right, with Ruiz advancing to third.  But Skoller grounded out to short for the first out and then Ruiz was thrown out at the plate on a Jonas ground ball for the second out.  Robert Michael (FR/Lagrangeville, NY) then popped out to short to end the game.

Brant pitched a strong 5 2/3 innings, giving up 6 hits and two earned runs and striking out 2.  In relief, Nast pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up a run on a hit and striking out two.  Offensively, Trischitta led the Panthers going 2-3 on the afternoon.

Purchase returns to action tonight when they take on Eastern Connecticut.