BOX SCORE

OLD WESTBURY, NY (www.oldwestburypanthers.com) – – The SUNY College at Old Westbury Panthers baseball team advanced to “Semifinal Saturday” with a convincing 11-2 victory over the fifth-seeded Purchase Panthers Wednesday evening at the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex in the opening round of the ECAC Metro Region Championship Tournament. The win sends fourth-seeded Old Westbury (24-19) into Saturday's battle with top-seeded Rutgers-Newark in Newark, New Jersey at 1 p.m. Purchase concluded its season at 17-16.

Old Westbury registered three steals in the game, moving the club into ninth place on the NCAA all-time single season stolen base record with 204 stolen bases.

Purchase broke the scoring ice in the second inning as Josh Spielberg scored on a fielder's choice. Old Westbury roared back with two runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead for good. Chris DeGennaro advanced home when Joseph Caraballo was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded for the first run followed by Kevin Cohen drawing a bases loaded walk to score Benjamin Farias. Two innings later, Caraballo singled home Farias to put OW ahead, 3-1.

Old Westbury scored four run in the fifth off four hits and an error. Anthony Orsano singled down the left field line to plate home Joseph Guido and advance Melvin Simmons over to third. Simmons scored off a wild pitch by Purchase starter Albert Baez. Josef Schaetzle followed with a run-scoring single that scored Orsano and four batters later scored off a sacrifice fly by Caraballo.

In the sixth, Old Westbury used three hits and two errors to tack on three. Simmons doubled, stole third and advanced on a throwing error by catcher Will Bernstein. Orsano scored on a fielder's choice three batters later and Farias knocked home Alex Abanavas off a double to left center. Austin Groves singled up the middle in the seventh to drive home Kevin McQuade for the final Purchase run. Old Westbury added another run in the eighth when Simmons scored off a run-scoring single by Farias.

Corey Murphy (4-5) had a strong outing for Old Westbury, registering a season-best seven strikeouts after recording five strikeouts during five separate starts. Murphy worked seven innings, allowing two runs on nine hits and two walks before Steven Chapter logged two innings of hitless relief. Albert Baez took the loss for Purchase, dropping his record to 4-2. Baez lasted just 4.0 innings after surrendering seven runs (five earned) of six hits and three walks.

Anthony Orsano registered three singles while Josef Schaetzle and Benjamin Farias banged out a pair of hits to lead OW. Joseph Caraballo drove in three runs and Farias knocked in two. Melvin Simmons scored three runs and Orsano and Farias crossed home plate twice. Austin Groves and Kevin McQuade tallied multiple hits to lead the Purchase offense.

ECAC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL AGAINST RUTGERS-NEWARK SCARLET RAIDERS UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: The fourth-seeded Panthers return to the field for the semifinal round of the 2011 ECAC Metro Region Championship Tournament against the top-seeded Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders Saturday in Newark, New Jersey.  First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. from Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.  

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