Brentwood, N.Y. —
After several back-to-back delays due to inclement weather and field conditions, the SUNY Old Westbury baseball team finally opened its 2026 season on Sunday afternoon with an eventful doubleheader against Lehman College at Brentwood State Park.
The Panthers jumped out of the gate firing on all cylinders, looking like a well-oiled machine while dominating Lehman in both games, 12–3 and 13–0, showing no signs of slowing down.
Old Westbury used a balanced offensive attack and strong pitching performances throughout the afternoon to complete the doubleheader sweep and start the season 2-0 overall.
GAME 1: Old Westbury 12, Lehman 3
The Panthers wasted little time getting their offense going, scoring runs in the second and third innings before breaking the game open with an eight-run fourth inning.
Senior catcher JT Torres led the Panthers offensively, finishing the game 2-for-2 with three runs scored, a triple, a double, and one RBI while also stealing three bases.
Junior first baseman Chris Bartnik provided the biggest swing of the afternoon, launching a three-run home run during Old Westbury's explosive fourth inning. Bartnik finished the game with three RBIs.
Junior outfielder Brandon Hernandez added to the offensive output with two RBIs, while sophomore infielder JJ Palumbo also drove in two runs and scored twice.
On the mound, junior right-hander Louis Pizzileo earned the win after pitching four innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out five. The bullpen duo of sophomore Jimmy Stroehlein and senior Declan Krogman helped close out the contest and secure the victory.
Old Westbury finished the game with 12 runs on 10 hits, while Lehman managed three runs on five hits.
GAME 2: Old Westbury 13, Lehman 0
The Panthers continued their offensive momentum in game two, erupting for five runs in the second inning before adding two more in the third and six runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach early.
Junior infielder Sean Maddi delivered one of the biggest hits of the game with a three-run home run, finishing with three RBIs.
Senior outfielder Mike Petrucelly and junior Mike Tiseo also fueled the Panthers' offensive explosion. Petrucelly recorded two hits, three runs scored, and two RBIs, while Tiseo added two hits including a home run and two RBIs.
Bartnik continued his strong day at the plate, blasting another three-run home run to extend the Panthers' lead.
On the mound, senior Vinny Giambona dominated in his season debut, tossing four shutout innings while striking out eight batters and allowing just one hit to earn the win.
Relievers Joe Randello, Anthony Ponzo, and Lucas Scarangello combined to complete the shutout as the Panthers held Lehman to just one hit in the game.
Old Westbury finished with 13 runs on eight hits, while Lehman was limited to one hit and no runs.
WHAT'S NEXT?
With the sweep, the Panthers improve to 2-0 on the season and will now travel to South Carolina to compete in the Myrtle Beach Spring Break Games.
Old Westbury will open the trip with a doubleheader against Colby-Sawyer College on March 14, followed by matchups against Ursinus College (March 15), Mount Aloysius College (March 16), and Western Connecticut State University (March 17).
KEY PERFORMERS
Sean Maddi (Jr., INF) — HR, 3 RBI
Chris Bartnik (Jr., 1B) — 2 HR, 6 RBI across doubleheader
Mike Petrucelly (Sr., OF) — 2 H, 3 R, 2 RBI (Game 2)
Mike Tiseo (Jr.) — HR, 2 RBI
JT Torres (Sr., C) — 2-for-2, 3 R, 3 SB (Game 1)
PITCHING HIGHLIGHTS
Vinny Giambona (Sr.) — 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 8 K
Louis Pizzileo (Jr.) — W, 4 IP, 5 K
