For the third straight game, the SUNY Oneonta baseball team rallied late to pull out a win.  Today it was three runs in the top of the ninth inning to take its SUNYAC opener at New Paltz, 3-1.  For Oneonta (6-11, 1-0 SUNYAC), it was the second time in the last three games that they pulled out a win in its final at-bat.

Senior Jim Hegmann (Middletown/Pine Bush) recorded his third consecutive scoreless outing to pick up his second win of the season in relief.  Hegmann didn't allow a hit and struck out four batters in two innings.  Hegmann relieved sophomore Steve Ascher (Cutchogue/Mattituck), who threw a scoreless seventh inning after coming in for starter Alex Mastrianni (Valatie/Ichabod Crane), who went six innings allowing three hits and one earned run.

Sophomore Matt Mastroianni (Somers/North Salem) began the ninth inning rally with a single up the middle to leadoff.  On the ensuing sacrifice attempt, Mastroianni reached second on a throwing error by the second baseman, which gave the Red Dragons runners at first and second with no outs.

Rob Peluso (Rensselaer/Columbia) then singled to load the bases before Dylan Stamile (Long Beach, NY/Bowie (Austin, TX)) walked to force in Mastroianni from third base.  Senior Dean Haussel (Sound Beach/Miller Place) hit a one out single to right field to drive in Matt Salvatore (Staten Island/Staten Island) while keeping the bases loaded.  A walk to senior Ivan Plata (Guilderland/Guilderland) forced in Peluso with the final run of the inning.

New Paltz scored its lone run in the sixth inning when Anthony Repetto hit an RBI double to drive in Matt Carr from second base.  Carr drew a walk to start the inning and was sacrificed to second by Richard Guido.

Oneonta is scheduled to play tomorrow afternoon at Ithaca College for a single nine inning game beginning at 4pm.