Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Offense was at a premium at Chip Cummings Field on Friday afternoon, but the New Paltz baseball team produced just enough of it to send the Cardinals to a 1-0 setback in the first of a three-game SUNYAC series.
The Cardinals (9-18, 4-9 SUNYAC) collected just three hits and left seven runners on base while the Hawks (13-17, 5-9 SUNYAC) amassed four hits during the nine-inning bout.
Fans in attendance were treated to an old-fashioned pitcher's duel between Plattsburgh State's Joe Leddy and the Hawks' Andrew Grann. Leddy, a senior out of Goshen, N.Y., got some help from his fielders to escape from a jam in the second inning.
A bunt single by Andrew DiNardo led off the New Paltz half of the second and the Hawks used a sacrifice bunt and a hit by pitch to place a pair of runners on base. Leddy then induced a flyout before senior backstop John Casten fired a pinpoint throw to Yuya Osawa at third base to catch DiNardo in the act, putting the kibosh on the Hawks' threat.
In the batter's box, the Cardinals weren't having too much luck of their own against Grann. Through the first five innings of play, Plattsburgh State was able to muster just two base runners. Junior Frank Buksa reached first on those two occasions – once by way of a base on balls and the other instance on the only New Paltz error of the day.
Junior Brian Latulipe broke up the no-hit bid of Grann in the bottom of the sixth by pushing a two-out single to right field. With runners at the corners, Osawa went down swinging to end the Cardinals' scoring threat.
It appeared as though the Cardinals had something cooking in the home portion of the seventh inning, too. Grann began the frame by plunking both Chris Pescetti and Frank Buksa before Pescetti was pulled for pinch runner Zach Hieb.
Taking a healthy lead off of second, Hieb was picked off before left fielder Jeremy Rodriguez ever received a pitch. Rodriguez then grounded into a fielder's choice and hustled to third base on a two-out single by senior John Casten.
Plattsburgh State, though, stranded runners at the corners for the second time in as many innings when Jon Repetto sent a weak one-hopper back to Grann to close the books on the seventh.
Leddy's only rough patch came in the top of the eighth when Richard Guido began the frame by hammering a 1-2 pitch to the deepest part of left field for a triple. Guido traveled 90 more feet to score the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly by David Lostaglio during the very next at-bat.
Through the final two innings of play, Plattsburgh State mustered just one base runner when Frank Buksa slapped an infield single to shortstop with two down in the ninth.
Leddy (3-1) was handed just his first setback of 2014 in his complete game. The senior scattered just four hits and gave up one walk while striking out three.
Grann moved to 4-3 by firing a three-hit complete game of his own. He doled out just one walk and fanned seven Plattsburgh State batters on the day.
The two squads will wrap up their three-game series with a Saturday doubleheader at Chip Cummings Field. Prior to the start of the noon double dip, Plattsburgh State will take a moment to recognize the contributions of its senior class as part of its senior day celebration.
