OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (April 11, 2018)  – Freshman Charles Kwong drove in a pair of runs with a triple, senior Alex Detweiler reached base safely for the 21st straight game, but the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team was unable to overcome an early deficit and fell to the State University of New York at Old Westbury, 8-5 Wednesday, in a non-conference game at the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.

Sophomore Patrick Rood and junior Matt Branco each had run-scoring singles for the Ducks, who dropped their second straight game to fall to 16-13.

Liam Slattery had three hits and drove in three and Michael Borsch had four RBI for the Panthers, who improved to 10-12-1.

"We were able to get a lot of our pitches work today in a final tuneup before our Fisher series," said head coach Kristaps Aldins. "Not the result we were looking for, but we will shake it off and get ready for Friday."

After a scoreless first, Old Westbury jumped on senior Andrew Hamel (0-2), touching the left-hander for three runs in the second. Mike Manetta singled to lead off the inning. Peter Capel reached on a fielder's choice and Shaun Kaminski walked to load the bases. Borsch singled to right center to score the game's first two runs. Hamel struck out Joshua Cruz for the first out of the inning. After Jesse Russo was hit by a pitch Slattery singled to short to score Kaminski to give the hosts a 3-0 lead.

Stevens got on the scoreboard in the third. Sophomore Shaye Bartnick worked a one-out walk off Ryan Dunbar (2-2). Junior Donny Gherardi was hit by a pitch and senior Tommy Baronner reached on fielder's choice to move Bartnick to third. Detweiler drove a 1-0 pitch into right for his 31st RBI of the year. The Sarasota, Florida had two hits on the day and has reached base safely in 28 of 29 games.

The first baseman had one of Stevens' four hits on the afternoon and delivered a two-run single, extending his on-base streak to 20 games. The Sarasota, Florida native has reached base in 27 of 28 games this season and continues to lead the Empire 8 Conference in runs batted in.

Old Westbury tacked on single runs in three straight innings, before Stevens rallied in the sixth. Detweiler singled to lead off the inning. Rood popped out for the first out of the inning and freshman Thomas Paulich reached on a fielder's choice. Junior Matthew Pasko walked and Kwong tripled in the gap in right center to pull Stevens within three. After a pitching change, Branco greeted the new hurler with a first-pitch single through the right side to score Kwong. Bartick ended the inning with a grounder to second.

Old Westbury scored an unearned run off sophomore Chandler Brierley in its half of the sixth, but freshman Eli Zuckerman worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam to limit the damage. Old Westbury scored in five straight innings. Rood plated a run in the seventh to again pull Stevens within two, but the Ducks were unable to push another run across, leaving the bases loaded.

Borsch drove in his final run of the day with a single off Drew Hanke. 

Stevens threatened in the ninth. Rood connected for a two-out single off Cruz, who came on in the final inning. Freshman Gannon Kenney-McGowan pinch-ran for Rood and moved to third when Kaminski threw away Paulich's grounder. Representing the tying run, Pasko flew out center to end the game. Cruz earned his fifth save of the year.

Zuckerman's outing was the third scoreless appearance of the year.

Up Next: Baseball travels to St. John Fisher College for a three-game Empire 8 Conference series. The teams are battling atop the Empire 8 standings.

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