Box Score Boxscore

UNION, NJ (www.oldwestburypanthers.com) – The SUNY College at Old Westbury baseball team played its first mid-week game of the season on Wednesday as the Panthers traveled to No. 4 Kean University to take on the Cougars. The Panthers entered the seventh innings down 2-1 but the pitching couldn't keep the Cougars from pushing runs across in the seventh and eighth, falling 7-3 in Union, New Jersey.

Old Westbury lit up the scoreboard first as Ali Ferreiras doubled home Josef Schaetzle with one out in the second inning to go up 1-0. Starter Dan Fordyce allowed just one hit over the first two innings but allowed a leadoff single in the third followed by a double to right field by Eddie Jennings to knot the game at 1-1. Four batters later, Dylan Laguna singled to drive home Jennings to grab a 2-1 lead.
Dan Fordyce returned to the hill in the fourth and did not allow a hit until the seventh. Fordyce surrendered two singles to open the seventh followed by a double down the left field line by Jennings to knock home Stephen Nappe. Marvin Rosario was then called in for relief work and faced D.J. Breckenridge, who stroked a two-run single to extend the Kean lead to 5-1 at the end of seven.

Old Westbury responded with two runs in the eight. Steve Henriquez reached on a leadoff single to set the table. Two batters later, Edwin Pena stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter for Joe Manzella and delivered a single followed by a base knock by Melvin Simmons that scored Henriquez. Giovanni Jimenez registered the third straight single in the inning to drive home Pena from third to bring the Panthers within two runs. Two batters later, Kean's Joseph Tarallo got Josef Schaetzle to ground into an inning ending double play with the bases loaded to escape out of the jam.

Kean tacked on two more runs in the eighth to go up 7-3. Marvin Rosario gave up back-to-back singles to start the inning and bounced by with a strikeout looking to record the first out. Abel Guerrero was then called in for some mound work and allowed a single through the left side by Lee Cavico that scored two. Guerrero responded by striking out the next batter and recording a ground out to close out the inning.

Dan Fordyce took the loss and fell to 0-1 on the season after allowing eight hits and five runs in six innings of work. Fordyce struck out three with no walks. Marvin Rosario logged in 1.1 inning of relief work and was charged with two runs on three hits before Abel Guerrero recorded the final two outs.
Kean starter Nick Cesare improved to 1-0 on the season, giving up three runs on nine hits in 7.1 innings with 10 strikeouts. Tarallo shut the door on Old Westbury and recorded his first save of the season in with 1.2 innings of scoreless-baseball.

Melvin Simmons led the Panther offense going 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. Steve Henriquez singled twice in four at-bats and scored one run while Ali Ferrerias clubbed a double for Old Westbury's lone extra base hit.

Kean's Eddie Jennings (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs), Dave Zavistoski (2-for-4, 2 runs), Stephen Nappe (2-for-4, 2 RBI, Run) and D Laguna (2-for-4, RBI, Run) each collected multiple hits while D.J. Breckenridge (1-for-3) drove in two runs.

Old Westbury returns to the diamond on Saturday afternoon at Briarcliffe College. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at the Patchogue PAL Complex. For the latest news on the Panthers, log on to www.oldwestburypanthers.com – the official site for Old Westbury athletics. Also, become a follower of the Panthers on Twitter and Facebook.