Game 1: Farmingdale State - 6, Maritime - 1
Game 2: Farmingdale State - 5, Maritime - 0
Throggs Neck, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State baseball team swept Maritime in a conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon and have clinched home field advantage for the Skyline Conference Baseball Championship. The Rams will host the double-elimination four-team championship on May 3-5 with the winner receiving a bid to the NCAA Regionals.
With one out in the top of the first of game one, junior right fielder Vincent Rice (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) hit a two-run home run to right center to quickly put Farmingdale State (26-6, 15-1) on top, 2-0. Two batters later, a solo home run to right by sophomore designated hitter Ryan DePalma (Albertson, N.Y.) increased the lead to 3-0.
Junior center fielder Vincent Napolitano (Bellmore, N.Y.) led off the top of the fourth with a single to center and advanced to second on an error. After the next two batters were retired, an RBI single through the left side from junior second baseman Tyler Schrimpf (Miller Place, N.Y.) put FSC ahead, 4-0.
Trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Privateers (20-15, 10-6) plated their only run of the game on a Shane Sullivan (Stewart Manor, N.Y.) RBI single up the middle.
The Rams added a run in the eighth as they went on for the 6-1 game one victory.
Rice went 2-for-3 with a triple, home run, two runs scored and 2 RBI, while Napolitano had three hits, including a triple in four at-bats and scored a run. DePalma finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with a home run, run scored and run batted in.
Junior pitcher Steven Burke (North Babylon, N.Y.) improved to 4-0 after tossing 5.2 innings, allowing one run on five hits with four strikeouts. Senior Matthew Constantine (West Babylon, N.Y.) recorded his second save of the season after pitching the final 3.1 innings.
In the top of the first inning of game two, Rice hit his second home run of the day to send Burke around to score and give the Rams an early 2-0 advantage.
Neither team would score until the seventh when FSC senior Shawn Blasberg (Sound Beach, N.Y.) came home on a throwing error off Schrimpf's sacrifice bunt. After Schrimpf scored on a Maritime throwing error, sophomore catcher Michael Amandola (North Babylon, N.Y.) later hit an RBI single to third base to increase the lead to 5-0.
The Privateers had two batters reach base in the bottom of the seventh but senior pitcher Ryan Mallon (Deer Park, N.Y.) recorded the final out to cap off the FSC sweep.
Amandola went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Rice was 1-for-3 with a home run, run scored and 2 RBI.
Constantine started and tossed 3.2 innings allowing only two hits. Junior Anthony Visconte (East Islip, N.Y.) (4-2) picked up the win after throwing three innings of relief allowing two hits and striking out four.
The FSC baseball team next will travel to William Paterson for a non-conference game on Tuesday, April 23rd at 3:30 p.m.
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