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OLD WESTBURY, NY (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) -The SUNY College at Old Westbury baseball team started off slow and turned things around to come away with a 5-2 Senior Day victory over the visiting Lehman Lightning Wednesday evening from the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.  The win is Old Westbury's seventh straight, improving the Panthers to 20-13-1 on the season as the Lightning fell to 12-16.

The Lightning struck in the fifth with a two out rally started by reliever Stephen Chapter plunking Waldo Acosta.  Acosta then stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Kevin Hernandez single for a 1-0 Lehman advantage. 

Lehman doubled their advantage in the sixth when Socrates Peralta grounded into a double play which allowed Michael Laing to score for a 2-0 lead. 

After producing just two hits through the opening five innings, Old Westbury's bats warmed up with five hits to score three runs in the sixth.  Jonathan Pagan sparked Old Westbury's rally by reaching base on a fielder's choice.  Pagan then stole second and advanced to third on John Angelino's single.  Peter Romeo then laced a triple to left, scoring both Pagan and Angelino to knot the game at 2-2.  Brandon Stein followed with an RBI single to put the Panthers up for good at the end of six. 

Old Westbury tacked on two more insurance runs in the eighth when reliever Jose Cruz Jr. hit a pair of Panthers with the bases loaded to score Stein and Eddie Hernandez to close out the scoring. 

Closer Alex DiSanto fanned two of his three batters he faced in the ninth to record his 10th save of the season with a one-two-three inning. 

Chapter (2-2) struck out four batters and tossed three innings in relief of starter Matthew Andress to pick up Old Westbury's win.  Andress scatted one run and registered two strikeouts in three innings of work.  Relievers James Roubal and Christopher Vitale also tossed single innings of shutout baseball as Old Westbury's pitching accumulated 10 strikeouts while allowing one earned run on six hits and two walks. 

Jeremy Delgado (2-3, RBI) and Stein (2-4, RBI, R) paced Old Westbury with multiple hits.  Paul Valerio's single in the three inning extended his hitting streak to eight games in a 1-for-4 game at the plate, including two stolen bases and one walk.

Alberto German led the way for Lehman with a 2-for-4 game at the plate.  Wilfredo Gonzalez (4-5) logged 7.1 innings of mound work and surrendered five runs on nine hits and three walks to take the loss for Lehman. 

PURCHASE PANTHERS UP NEXT FOR OLD WESTBURY: Old Westbury returns to the diamond on Saturday (April 27) at 12 p.m. when they take on the visiting Purchase Panthers in a Skyline Conference "Battle of the SUNY Panthers" doubleheader from the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.   

Prior to first pitch, seniors Matthew  Andress, Stephen Chapter, Steve Mare, Peter Romeo, James Roubal, Paul Valerio, Brian Walsh and Tim Walsh will be honored with the annual Senior Day Ceremony for their dedication to Old Westbury Athletics.

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