#4 St. Joseph's-LI - 9, #1 Farmingdale State - 8 (F/11)
Farmingdale, N.Y. - Tied 8-8 in the bottom of the 11th, St. Joe's scored the game-winning run on a bases loaded walk to capture the 2016 Skyline Conference Baseball Championship. The Golden Eagles earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament.
The Rams (20-16) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a passed ball in the first inning and junior designated hitter Dalton McCarthy (Manorville, N.Y.) followed with a grand slam to right field on the first pitch of the at-bat to put Farmingdale State ahead, 5-0.
Leading 5-1 in the top of the fifth, FSC increased the lead to 6-1 on an infield RBI single from sophomore second baseman Domenic Palumbo (Plainview, N.Y.) which scored Brandon Snow (Owings, MD).
In the bottom of the fifth, the Golden Eagles (24-10) answered with a 2 RBI single through the left side by senior third baseman Joseph Calabrese (Westbury, N.Y.) to close within three, 6-3.
A four-run bottom of the seventh gave St. Joseph's their first lead of the game at 7-6.
FSC senior catcher Kenneth Johntry (Yaphank, N.Y.) tied the game at 7-7 with an RBI single to left field in the top of the eighth. In the next at-bat, freshman center fielder Nick Attardi (Smithtown, N.Y.) hit an RBI single to left to regain the lead for Farmingdale State, 8-7.
With two on and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, SJC pinch hitter Mike Griffo (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Nick Girardi (Syosset, N.Y.) and evening the score at 8-8.
Girardi led off the bottom of the 11th with a double to right field and after two walks loaded the bases, senior center fielder Ryan Walsh (Nesconset, N.Y.) walked as Girardi came around to score for the 9-8 St. Joe's victory.
McCarthy finished 2-for-4 with a double and a grand slam, while Johntry was 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.
Girardi, who was named Tournament MVP, went 5-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, two triples, a run scored and an RBI for St. Joe's.
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