OLD WESTBURY, NY – The Purchase College baseball team wrapped up a series of weekend games with a pair of conference losses to the SUNY College at Old Westbury Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.
Old Westbury (13-10-1, 9-3 Skyline) rallied in extra innings to record a 5-4 win in the opener and later extended its win streak to six with a 9-1 victory in game two.
Game One: Old Westbury 5, Purchase 4 (11 INN.)
Strong pitching performances from both teams kept the game scoreless for the first four innings. Old Westbury was first to cross the plate with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Purchase answered back in the top of the sixth. The Panthers knocked in three runs on four hits to take a 3-2 lead.
Brian Cunningham (SR/Westbury, NY) used a two-out double to get on base and later came around to score on a
Jemal Betances (FR/Bronx, NY) double to left field.
Patrick Wallace (JR/Manorville, NY) smashed a 2-RBI single to right center field on the next at-bat, bringing Betances and
Nick Lasala (JR/Massapequa Park, NY) around the bases to score. Relief pitcher Joe Sarni came in to record the final out of the inning.
The Panthers tacked on another run in the top of the ninth.
John Fitzgerald (JR/Wantagh, NY) singled to right field to push
Gavin Brien (JR/Brooklyn, NY) across home plate.
Purchase held a 4-2 advantage over Old Westbury heading into the bottom half of the inning. With just three outs to go, the sweet taste of victory began to fade for Purchase as Old Westbury put tying runs on base in its first two at-bats. Vinny Trovato led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Joshua Cruz walked followed by a Nic Labiento sacrifice bunt. Sean Paprocki reached on a fielder's choice and Mike Manetta lined out to center field. With the bases loaded and one out on the board, Old Westbury used a Purchase wild pitch and error to drive in two runs and tie the game at 4-all.
Old Westbury capped the rally and recorded the win in the bottom of the 11th inning. John Condon batted in Paprocki for the game-winning run.
CJ Owens (JR/Ridge, NY) went 8.2 innings on the mound for Purchase. He gave up the tying run and was relieved by
Michael Laskowski (SO/Floral Park, NY) in the ninth. Laskowski (0-2) was later tagged with the loss after giving up the game-winning run.
Sarni (2-1) recorded the win for Old Westbury. He totaled struck out four and allowed five hits over 5.1 innings of work.
Game Two: Old Westbury 9, Purchase 1
Purchase scored its lone run of the game in the top of the first inning. A Lasala double to right center field scored
Matthew Mulligan (SO/Bellport, NY) and put the Panthers ahead 1-0.
The lead was short-lived however, as the Old Westbury offense fired in nine unanswered runs over four innings to secure the 9-1 victory.
Old Westbury ace Adam Heidenfelder (2-0) tallied seven strikeouts in the complete-game performance.
