PURCHASE, N.Y. – The SUNY Old Westbury baseball team continued Skyline Conference play on Saturday afternoon with a road doubleheader against Purchase College in Purchase, N.Y. The Panthers came up just short in the opener, falling 5-4 in Game 1, before dropping Game 2 by a final score of 13-6.
Game 1
Old Westbury struck first in the top of the second inning when James Reilly tripled to center field, bringing home Chris Bartnik to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
The Panthers added to their advantage in the third as Mike Tiseo singled to center field to score JT Torres, making it 2-0.
In the fourth inning, Old Westbury continued to apply pressure offensively. Dean Pasolini delivered an RBI single to right field to score Reilly before JJ Palumbo followed with an RBI single of his own, plating Pasolini and extending the Panthers' lead to 4-0.
Purchase got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but Old Westbury remained in front entering the final inning. The home team then put together a four-run seventh inning to erase the deficit and walk off with the 5-4 win.
As a team, the Panthers did two things well despite the loss. First, Old Westbury came out aggressive offensively and built an early four-run lead through timely hitting. Second, the Panthers were active on the basepaths, recording four stolen bases in the contest.
JJ Palumbo led the Panthers offensively with a 3-for-4 performance and one RBI. James Reilly went 1-for-2 with one run scored, one RBI, one walk, and a triple, while Mike Tiseo finished 1-for-4 with an RBI. Dean Pasolini added a hit, a run scored, and an RBI, and JT Torres scored once and chipped in a hit.
Old Westbury's four runs were scored by JT Torres, Chris Bartnik, James Reilly, and Dean Pasolini. The Panthers finished with nine hits in the game.
Game 2
Old Westbury again found success offensively in the second game of the doubleheader, but Purchase used timely hitting and a series of late runs to pull away for a 13-6 victory.
Purchase opened the scoring in the first inning before the Panthers answered with a strong second frame. Dean Pasolini singled up the middle to bring home James Reilly and Mike Tiseo, with Tiseo scoring an unearned run on the play to give Old Westbury a 2-1 lead. Later in the inning, Donny Whalen doubled to left field to score Pasolini, and Sean Maddi followed with an RBI single up the middle to plate Whalen as the Panthers built a 4-1 advantage.
Purchase responded with one run in the second and two more in the third to even the score at 4-4 before taking a 5-4 lead in the fourth.
Old Westbury reclaimed the lead in the fifth when Mike Tiseo blasted a two-run home run to center field, scoring JJ Palumbo and giving the Panthers a 6-5 edge.
The host Panthers answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and added three more in the sixth before pulling away with three additional runs in the eighth to secure the sweep.
As a team, Old Westbury did two things well in Game 2. First, the Panthers continued to battle offensively, totaling 13 hits and scoring six runs. Second, Old Westbury once again applied pressure on the bases, recording multiple stolen bases and staying aggressive throughout the contest.
Mike Tiseo led the Panthers offensively in Game 2, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBI, and a home run. JJ Palumbo added a 2-for-5 performance with one run scored, while Brandon Hernandez also finished 2-for-5. James Reilly went 2-for-5 with one run scored, Dean Pasolini added a hit, a run scored, and an RBI, Donny Whalen recorded a hit, a run scored, and an RBI, and Sean Maddi finished 2-for-3 with one RBI and one walk.
Old Westbury's six runs in Game 2 were scored by JJ Palumbo, Mike Tiseo (2), James Reilly, Dean Pasolini, and Donny Whalen.
What's Next?
The Panthers will continue Skyline Conference play on Sunday, March 29 at 12:00 p.m. when they travel to Throggs Neck, N.Y. for a doubleheader against Maritime College.
