Game 1: Farmingdale State - 3, Mount Saint Mary - 0
Game 2: Farmingdale State - 6, Mount Saint Mary - 0
Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State baseball team swept Mount Saint Mary in a Skyline Conference doubleheader this afternoon. The Rams captured the first game 3-0 and earned a 6-0 victory in the second game. FSC has claimed the #1 overall seed and will host the upcoming Skyline Conference Baseball Championship on May 4-6.
Tied 0-0 in the top of the sixth, Farmingdale State (22-12, 14-4) sophomore right fielder Devin Caybasi (St. James, N.Y.) led off with a single up the middle and advanced to third on a Vincent Rice (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) double to left. In the next at-bat, a bases clearing triple by junior left fielder Joseph Roche (Westbury, N.Y.) gave the Rams a 2-0 lead. FSC plated their third run of the inning on a Shawn Blasberg (Sound Beach, N.Y.) sacrifice bunt which scored Roche.
Over the final 3.5 innings, the FSC pitching staff held Mount Saint Mary (21-10-1, 13-5) to only one hit as they earned the 3-0 game one victory. On the mound for the Rams, senior David Otero Jr. (Shelton, Conn.) improved the 4-1 on the year after tossing 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and junior Ryan Mallon (Deer Park, N.Y.) pitched the final two innings and picked up his third save.
Roche was 2-for-3 with a run scored and 2 RBI, while senior center fielder Brandon Ernest (Owings, MD) and sophomore first baseman Ernie Geraci (East Moriches, N.Y.) each had two hits for Farmingdale State.
Leading 1-0 in the top of the first of game two, the Rams extended the advantage to two on a no-out Blasberg RBI single to right, which sent Caybasi around to score. After a double steal, an RBI fielder's choice from junior left fielder Anthony Gigante (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) scored Rice and put FSC on top, 3-0.
In the top of the second, a two-out RBI single up the middle by Geraci plated sophomore second baseman Tyler Schrimpf (Miller Place, N.Y.) and increased the lead to 4-0.
The Rams added their fifth run in the sixth inning on a throwing error by the MSMC catcher on a failed pickoff attempt and later used an Ernest RBI single through the left side to go out in front, 6-0. Neither team would score the remainder of the game as Farmingdale State closed out the doubleheader sweep.
Junior Matthew Constantine (West Babylon, N.Y.) (4-1) threw a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and striking out three. Ernest finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and RBI, while Geraci, Blasberg and Gigante each added a run batted in for FSC.
The Rams and second-seeded St. Joseph's-LI (13-5) have secured a first-round bye into the double-elimination tournament beginning on Friday at Farmingdale State.
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