Rams Defeat Old Westbury; Advance to Fourth Straight Skyline Championship

#2 Farmingdale State - 11, #5 Old Westbury - 2

Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State baseball team will play in the Skyline Conference Championship game for the fourth straight season, after posting an 11-2 win over Old Westbury this afternoon in Farmingdale, N.Y. In the double-elimination tournament, the Rams are yet to be defeated.

In the bottom of the first, Old Westbury took a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout by senior designated hitter Josef Schaetzle (Bellmore, N.Y.). In the second, senior shortstop Brandon Cruz (Bronx, N.Y.) hit a one-out triple to left center, before senior left fielder Ryan Rubenstein (Deer Park, N.Y.) doubled down the left field line, evening the score at 1-1.

The Rams led off the sixth with back-to-back singles by junior third baseman Ryan McAllister (Miller Place, N.Y.) and senior center fielder Frank Yera (Manhattan, N.Y.). McAllister scored on Farmingdale's next at bat as sophomore designated hitter David Zilnicki (Riverhead, N.Y.) reached base on a fielding error. Yera increased the Rams' lead to 3-1 by scoring on a wild pitch. Farmingdale State went ahead 5-1 after Cruz and Rubenstein each recorded RBI singles.   

The Rams added a run in the seventh and four in the eighth to break the game open. Each team scored once in the ninth inning, as the Rams capped off the 11-2 victory.

Junior pitcher C.J. Bula (Mohegan Lake, N.Y.) improved his record to 6-0, while pitching a complete game allowing only five hits, one earned run and one walk. Cruz was 2-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI, while Rubenstein had two hits and two runs batted in. McAllister added two hits and a run scored for Farmingdale State.

Old Westbury was led by Schaetzle who was 1-for-4 with a run scored and 2 RBI.

The Rams will play the winner of #5 Old Westbury/#3 Mount Saint Vincent in the Skyline Championship game on Sunday, May 1st at 11:00 a.m. If necessary, the second game will be played at 2:00 p.m.

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