Game 1: Farmingdale State - 9, St. Joseph's-Brooklyn - 8
Game 2: St. Joseph's-Brooklyn - 2, Farmingdale State - 1
Yaphank, N.Y. - In a Skyline Conference baseball doubleheader against St. Joseph's-Brooklyn at Baseball Heaven this afternoon, Farmingdale State overcame a seven-run first inning deficit to capture game one, 9-8, before falling, 2-1, in the second game.
Trailing 8-4 in the top of the fourth, FSC (11-6, 3-1) freshman third baseman Jake Jacobs (Commack, N.Y.) led off with a solo home run to left center to pull the Rams within three. In the next inning, a one-out sacrifice fly to left field by Jacobs scored sophomore designated hitter Vincent Rice (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) and cut the St. Joe's-Brooklyn (1-14, 1-3) lead to two, 8-6.
Senior second baseman Domenic Palumbo (Old Bethpage, N.Y.) led off the top of the sixth inning with a triple to center and after a groundout, sophomore first baseman Ernie Geraci (East Moriches, N.Y.) followed with RBI single. Three batters later, a RBI single by junior shortstop Shawn Blasberg (Sound Beach, N.Y.) scored Geraci and tied the game at 8-8.
Farmingdale State pinch hitter Anthony Gigante (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) led off the ninth with a walk and advanced to second on a Blasberg bunt single. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, senior center fielder Brandon Ernest (Owings, MD) walked to load the bases. Two batters later, senior catcher Kenneth Johntry (Yaphank, N.Y.) gave the Rams a 9-8 lead with a sacrifice fly to center which scored Gigante.
In the bottom of the ninth, FSC junior pitcher Logan Hicks (Ekron, KY) retired the Bears in order to seal the 9-8 comeback victory. Hicks (1-0) earned the win after pitching 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out two.
Jacobs finished the game 1-for-2 at the plate with a home run and game-high 3 RBI, while Roche was 2-for-4 with a double and triple. Geraci had two hits, including a double to go along with a run scored and RBI in the win.
SJC-BK was led by junior first baseman Anthony Palermo (Patchogue, N.Y.) who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while sophomore second baseman Michael Gonzalez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and junior pitcher J.J. McLaughlin (Elmont, N.Y.) each had two hits, 2 RBI and scored a run.
In game two, St. Joe's-Brooklyn struck first in the bottom of the third on a Palermo RBI single through the left side which sent junior second baseman Adam Schwartz (Staten Island, N.Y.) around to score.
With two outs and runners on first and third in the top of the fifth, Farmingdale State evened the score at 1-1 on an RBI single through the left side from Jacobs. The Bears quickly regained the lead, 2-1, in the bottom of the inning on a Palermo RBI single to left.
In the top of the seventh, sophomore right fielder Devin Caybasi (St. James, N.Y.) and Gigante each hit singles up the middle to put two on with one out. SJC-BK sophomore pitcher Andrew Watters (Brooklyn, N.Y.) recorded the next two outs as the Bears earned the 2-1 win and doubleheader split.
For the Rams, Gigante and Caybasi were each 2-for-2 at the plate. Senior pitcher David Otero Jr. (Shelton, Conn.) (1-1) took the loss after allowing one earned run on five hits, while striking out eight in 4.1 innings of work.
Watters (1-2) tossed a complete game, allowing one run on eight hits with three strikeouts. Offensively, Palermo had three hits in three at-bats and tallied both of the RBI's for St. Joe's-Brooklyn.
Farmingdale State next will face Baruch (at Westchester CC) in a non-conference game on Tuesday, April 3rd at 3:30 p.m.
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