Panthers Baseball Falls to Plattsburgh as Defensive Woes Cost Purchase

By Nolan Locke

Defensive miscues and a lackluster offense proved costly as Purchase fell 6–0 to SUNY Plattsburgh in the second game of a doubleheader, committing four errors and dropping the Panthers to 0–4 to open the season.

Despite the loss, rookie starting pitcher Louis Gonzales impressed in his first collegiate start, throwing five innings of three-hit baseball while allowing just one earned run. However, the lefty was left stranded by his defense as four errors tagged Gonzales with five unearned runs.

The Panthers congratulate Louis Gonzalez following his first collegiate inning (Photo by Nolan Locke)

Gonzales started his day with back-to-back 1-2-3 innings before a base hit up the middle in the top of the third spelled trouble for the Panthers, as a wild pitch followed by a costly throwing error from Purchase third baseman Dominick Coniglio opened the scoring for Plattsburgh.

Gonzales' strong start was mirrored by Plattsburgh's starter Kyan Zamaniyan, a familiar face as he transferred to Plattsburgh after pitching for Purchase the previous year, who pitched three consecutive 1-2-3 innings himself.

One key to Zamaniyan's early success was his command of the zone. “He threw first-pitch strikes to most batters,” said Plattsburgh Head Coach Sam Quinn. “That’s what we talked about in the fall, getting ahead of guys.”

Purchase’s struggles would continue over into the fourth inning as Plattsburgh would reach first base on another errant throw, before the Cardinals' right fielder, Colin Ross, launched a towering two-run homer to right field. It wasn’t long before Gonzales quickly found himself back in a jam after a third throwing error would immediately place a runner back on first. But Gonzales dug deep, striking out two to get himself out of the inning, only giving up two runs in the process.

However, Purchase fans had something to cheer about in the bottom of the fourth, as senior Frank Rega slapped a two-out single up the left side of the infield, breaking up Zamaniyan’s perfect game while also recording his 100th career hit for Purchase College.

“It feels great. It was a lot of hard work, and I’m proud,” Rega said.

Panthers Coach Adam Taraska shared much of the same sentiment. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment,” said Taraska. “He deserves it. I’m proud of him; he is a terrific person, one of our captains and everyone here loves him.”

Rega’s single would be all for the Panthers on offense as Zamaniyan would finish out the inning with a strikeout.

In the fifth, throwing errors again allowed for a runner on first, and the Panthers gave up their fourth unearned run of the game. However, Gonzales was able to limit the damage, getting Ross to chase on a breaking ball outside of the zone, finishing the day with four strikeouts to his name.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Panthers found themselves with a runner in scoring position after a single to Patrick Reyes. Reyes swiftly stole second before a flyout and a swinging strikeout would end the momentum for Purchase.

Zamaniyan finished with an impressive final line of five shutout innings, four strikeouts and two hits. “His two-seam looked good,” said Quinn. “So did his change-up. He threw a great game today.”

​The Panthers allowed two more earned runs in the sixth, pushing Plattsburgh’s lead to 6–0. The Cardinals held Purchase scoreless the rest of the way.

Panthers fans eagerly watching pitcher Louis Gonzalez (Photo by Nolan Locke)

“The bats gotta be better,” said Rega. “It just sucks to come out here and lose.” But the captain wasn’t all negative. “It’s our first time out, and I look forward to improving.”

After the game, Taraska spoke candidly about the Panthers' early struggles. “We’re struggling offensively to start the season,” said Taraska. “It’s no secret we’ve made a lot of pitchers look good, but we’ve got to get back to the drawing board. Hopefully, we can turn this around quickly.”

Weather conditions also prevented Purchase from being able to take live at-bats on the field leading up to this weekend's game, potentially affecting their performance. "Nobody's taken more swings than us indoors,” said Taraska. “But you can’t really simulate an opposing pitcher and being outside. You could do your best, but nothing can simulate it.”

Despite the early struggle, Taraska isn’t overly concerned. “Other teams are struggling too,” said Taraska. “We’re keeping other teams' offenses at bay. I’m seeing a lot of the same struggles for other teams.”