Purchase, NY
(March 8, 2017) – The Purchase College baseball team opened their 2017 season Wednesday at home, welcoming SUNY New Paltz to the campus for a single, nine-inning game.
Despite an early lead by the hosts, New Paltz prevailed 7-5 late. The Hawks improved to 4-2 in the non-conference victory. Purchase, which had two doubleheader postponements coming in, falls to 0-1 in its first spring action.
Panther starter
Nicholas Palmerini (FR/Northport, NY) started strong with a scoreless inning in the top half of the first.
Purchase got rolling early offensively. Leadoff hitter
Gregory Walsh (SO/Bethpage, NY) doubled. A balk advanced him to third. He scored afterward, when the Panthers forced New Paltz' hand on a stolen base attempt of second.
Hawks starter John LoCurto navigated around some early trouble in the first, allowing only the one run.
Both starting pitchers limited the bats to one hit apiece across three innings.
In the fourth, New Paltz chased Palmerini, putting together a three-run inning that was highlighted by a two-RBI double to left field off the bat of Justin Ganca. Purchase went to the bullpen for
CJ Owens (FR/Middle Island, NY), who helped the hosts limit the damage by pitching around the jam.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Panthers rebounded to take the lead. An RBI single from
Patrick Rucci (SR/Cortlandt Manor, NY) brought home the second run for the Panthers. Purchase would load the bases for
Gavin Brien (FR/Jamaica, NY), who reached on an error by the first baseman. His smash to first allowed two runs to come across, handing the Panthers a 4-3 lead heading into the fifth.
The Panthers held New Paltz scoreless, and despite putting a runner at third in the bottom of the fifth with two outs, couldn't increase the lead heading into the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, the Hawks tied the game on a John Moran RBI double. In the seventh, New Paltz capitalized on three errors in the inning to take a 7-4 advantage. Ganca's sacrifice fly with one out extended the lead to three runs.
In the bottom of the seventh,
Teofilo Ramirez (SR/Queens, NY) doubled to lead off the frame.
Brian Cunningham (SO/Westbury, NY) followed with a chip single to center, moving Ramirez to third with no out. Backed by the good start, the Panthers plated a run to cut the deficit to 7-5.
Purchase battled to the end. The Panthers put runners at second and third in the eighth, but New Paltz went to the bullpen and thwarted the rally.
In the top of the ninth, the Hawks loaded the bases, but Purchase managed to avoid further trouble, squashing New Paltz' rally.
In the last of the ninth, Ryan Votypka, who come on in relief in the eighth, closed out the victory for the visitors. He tossed a scoreless inning to earn the save.
New Paltz used four pitchers in the win. Anthony Amoroso earned the win. The Panthers used five pitchers in the game. Owens took the defeat.
Ganca paced New Paltz with three RBI. The Panthers were led offensively by Rucci. He finished with two hits and one RBI in the loss.
The Panthers return to action on March 16 against Anderson Hill Road rival Manhattanville College. The Valiants are slated to come to the campus for a single, nine-inning, non-conference matchup. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
