The Oswego State baseball team (10-8, 3-4 SUNYAC) struggled to score runs Saturday, April 6, falling in both games of a doubleheader against New Paltz (9-12, 6-4) by scores of 10-1 and 6-3 to complete the three-game series sweep.
Oswego State got on the board early in game one after Ed Charles (Sr., Auburn, N.Y.) scored on a sacrifice fly to right field in the first inning. After that, the Laker pitching staff was unable to keep the Hawk bats at bay. New Paltz scored two in the first, five in the second, and one in the fourth and sixth each for ten unanswered runs over the rest of the contest to cruise to the 10-1 victory.
Mike McMullen (Jr., Syracuse, N.Y.) recorded two of the Lakers' seven hits in the game. James McKenna (Jr., Bohemia, N.Y.) took the loss for Oswego State after giving up eight runs, six earned, over 1.2 innings. New Paltz starter Chris Chismar pitched six innings allowing one run and scattering five hits while fanning seven Lakers.
Oswego State again started off strong in the second game of the twinbill, taking the early 1-0 lead in the first inning after a single through the left side by Brian Hamilton (So., Liverpool, N.Y.) brought home Mike Stark (Sr., Rochester, N.Y.). The Lakers added another run in the second inning after Scott Buniak (Jr., Clifton Park, N.Y.) drove a 1-2 fastball down the left field line for a double scoring Kyle Liner (So., Milford, N.Y.).
New Paltz answered back in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs in the inning on Oswego State starting pitcher Jon Stevens (Sr., Chittenango, N.Y.). The Lakers narrowed the lead to 4-3 after Mike McMullen (Jr., Syracuse, N.Y.) pulled a 0-2 pitch through the left side, plating Buniak. However, the Oswego State offense was not able to generate any more runs and the Hawks tallied two additional runs in the bottom of the seventh off of Laker reliever Miles Kelly (Fr., Clifton Park, N.Y.) to take a 6-3 lead and hold on down the stretch.
Buniak led the attack in game two with the bat, going 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, and a run. Stevens took the loss, pitching just two innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. Kelly pitched a solid five innings of relief, surrendering two runs on four hits and striking out six. Thor Miller (Jr., Miller Place, N.Y.) pitched a scoreless eighth inning, striking out two.
Oswego State returns to action on Wednesday, April 10, when it takes on St. John Fisher in a non-conference doubleheader at Laker Baseball Field in its first home games of the season. Game one is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m.
Click for Box Score 1.
Click for Box Score 2.
