Game 1: #3 Farmingdale State - 5, #2 Old Westbury - 4 F/10
Game 2: #2 Old Westbury - 11, #3 Farmingdale State - 4
Patchogue, N.Y. - In a bid for their eighth consecutive Skyline Conference title, the Farmingdale State baseball team fell, 11-4, to Old Westbury in the Championship game today at St. Joseph's College. The Panthers earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Regional Tournament.
In the championship deciding game two, Old Westbury jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with a four-run first inning.
The Rams cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first with a 2 RBI double down the left field line by sophomore third baseman Nick Osburn (East Islip, N.Y.).
After back-to-back singles by the Rams in the second, an RBI groundout by junior catcher Ryan Jordan (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) pulled Farmingdale State within one, 4-3.
The Panthers added an unearned run in the third inning to extend their lead to 5-3.
Farmingdale State converted a double steal in the bottom of the fourth scoring Domenic Palumbo (Plainview, N.Y.) and cutting the deficit to 5-4.
Old Westbury extended their lead to 8-4 and used a 3-run home run by senior left fielder Nick Yip (Elmhurst, N.Y.) in the seventh inning to open up an 11-4 advantage.
The Rams were unable to score in the final two innings as they fell, 11-4.
Senior left fielder Anthony Alvino (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) was 3-for-3, while Osburn had two hits and 2 RBI.
The Panthers were led by Yip who was 2-for-5 with a run scored and a game-high 3 RBI.
Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh in game one, Farmingdale State's John Spirito (Smithtown, N.Y.) scored on an Old Westbury throwing error to give the Rams a 3-2 lead.
In the top of the ninth, the Panthers tied the game at 3-3 as Joey Walsh (Bethpage, N.Y.) scored on a wild pitch.
Old Westbury took a one-run lead in the top of the tenth inning after Walsh was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the tenth, senior right fielder Michael Marino (Franklin Square, N.Y.) led off with a walk and later stole second. In FSC's next at-bat, Osburn doubled to left center, scoring Marino and tying the game at 4-4. After Dalton McCarthy (Manorville, N.Y.) and Ryan Levine (West Babylon, N.Y.) were both intentionally walked, sophomore Charles O'Neil (North Babylon, N.Y.) hit a ground ball to third base and Osburn scored on the play as the Rams capped off a 5-4 comeback victory.
Osburn finished the game 2-for-5 with a run scored and a game-high 3 RBI, while senior first baseman Anthony McQuade (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) was 2-for-3 at the plate.
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