Box Score Boxscore

YAPHANK, NY (www.oldwestburypanthers.com) – Junior Marvin Rosario pitched three scoreless innings of relief as the SUNY College at Old Westbury baseball team baseball team knocked off 18th-ranked Cortland State (2-2), 4-2, Friday afternoon at Baseball Heaven.

Old Westbury (1-3) fell behind 2-0 in the first inning when starter Dan Fordyce served up a two-run homer to Anderson Gardner, putting the Red Dragons ahead 2-0 at the end of one. Old Westbury responded in the second with a two-out single by Melvin Simmons that drove home Emmanuel Mateo for the lone run of the inning. Melvin Simmons then trotted across the plate in the fourth off a two-out single by Giovanni Jimenez that tied the game at 2-2. Old Westbury took the lead for good in the sixth inning as Giovanni Jimenez drew a bases loaded walk off Red Dragon reliever Mike Weingarten to send Steve Henriquez across the plate for the go ahead run. Old Westbury tacked on their fourth and final run of the game in the seventh inning to take a 4-2 lead. Edwin Pena delivered an RBI single to score Fernando Lopez from second. 

Jorge Hiraldo was called onto close out the game for Marvin Rosario with one out in the ninth inning.  Hiraldo gave up a two-run home run to Steve Nickel with one out in the ninth to knot the game briefly at 4-4. Hiraldo recovered by striking out the very next batter. The game was then called due to darkness and the game officially reverted back to the 4-2 Old Westbury lead at the end of eight innings since the Panthers offense did not step to the plate in the ninth.  

PANTHERS AT THE PLATE: Melvin Simmons finished the game 2-for-3 with two walks and one RBI, while Edwin Mejia went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Giovanni Jimenez drove in 2 RBI and went 1-for-4.

RED DRAGONS AT THE PLATE: Andersen Gardner belted a two-run blast and went 2-for-4 with one stolen base. Jason Simone added a multi-hit game, banging out a pair of singles and finished 2-for-4. Khyle Dimino recorded two walks and went 1-for-2 while Alex Coffey struck out twice in three at-bats.

PANTHERS ON THE MOUND: Dan Fordyce got the nod to start and went five innings with six strikeouts and allowed three walks and two earned runs. Marvin Rosario worked three innings of one hit baseball, compiling four strikeouts to earn his first victory of the season.

RED DRAGONS ON THE MOUND: Starter Adam Brown (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season after allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in 5.1 innings of work. Mike Weingarten walked two and allowed one hit without recording an out. Brendan Hourihan worked the final 2.2 innings, giving up one unearned run on one hit with one strikeout.

GAME NOTES: On the mound, Old Westbury had 10 strikeouts and issued seven hits and three walks. Cortland State struck out four and walked five while allowing eight hits. In the batter's box, Old Westbury pounded out eight hits, highlighted by a double by Albert Bevacqua compared to seven hits by Cortland State, including the two-run big fly by Anderen Gardner. On the base path, Old Westbury stole two bases and stranded 10 runners on base while Cortland State swept two bags and abandoned nine runners on base. On the defensive front, both teams turned one double-play and committed one error.

NO. 16 SOUTHERN MAINE UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: Old Westbury will take on the Southern Maine Huskies at Baseball Heaven on Saturday, March 6, for a non-conference battle. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m. in Yaphank, New York. Please visit www.oldwestburypanthers.com for more information on baseball or any of the other Panther athletic teams.