| Farmingdale State athletics photo |
#3 Farmingdale State - 5, #1 Old Westbury - 2
Old Westbury, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State baseball team won their seventh straight Skyline Title today with a 5-2 victory over top-seed Old Westbury. The Rams (25-10) went undefeated in the playoffs as the third seed and with the win received the conference's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division III Baseball Regionals. Senior centerfielder Edward Bergmann (East Meadow, N.Y.) was named the Skyline Tournament MVP.
Farmingdale State went ahead 3-0 in the top of the second off four errors. Senior designated hitter Daniel Paccione (Commack, N.Y.) scored the first run off an obstruction call during a run down, before senior first baseman Sal Sanquini (Levittown, N.Y.) made it 2-0 with a double down the left field line to score junior third baseman Mike Scarlato (Holbrook, N.Y.) from third. Sanquini then came home on a wild pitch for the third run of the inning.
In the bottom of the second, the Rams got out of a two-out bases loaded jam as freshman pitcher Matt Seelinger (Levittown, N.Y.) forced a groundout to end the inning. Farmingdale State added two more runs in the third off RBI singles by Paccione and Scarlato, scoring junior second baseman Anthony Alvino (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) and junior shortstop Tom Rydzewski (Franklin Square, N.Y.) to make it 5-0.
The Rams held the Panthers to just two hits over the next three innings, but allowing Old Westbury to score on a wild pitch in the sixth. The Panthers plated another run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-2, off a triple to center by junior leftfielder Nick Yip (Elmhurst, N.Y.).
Senior pitcher Michael Dolce (St. James, N.Y.) pitched the final 2.1 innings for the Rams, striking out three and allowing just one hit as he was awarded the save in the 5-2 victory. Seelinger improved to 4-0 this season after his six innings of work, allowing three hits with three strikeouts.
Senior pitcher Braylin Perez (Santiago, DR) pitched a complete game in defeat for the Panthers, striking out three with two earned runs.
The Rams now await word of their Regional site and first opponent, which will be announced by an NCAA.com press release on May 11th at midnight.
*****
