Game 1: Farmingdale State - 9, Mount Saint Mary - 6
Game 2: Farmingdale State - 4, Mount Saint Mary - 1
Newburgh, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State baseball team swept Skyline Conference opponent Mount Saint Mary in a doubleheader on Monday afternoon. The Rams won the first game by a score of 9-6 and followed with a 4-1 decision in game two.
FSC (10-9, 5-3 Skyline) got on the board early after senior center fielder Vincent Napolitano (Bellmore, N.Y.) led off with a single and scored two batters later on a two-run home run from senior right fielder Bobby Pollock (Manorville, N.Y.).
The Knights (8-10, 4-4 Skyline) answered with a two-run triple by senior right fielder Dominick Marzigliano (Highland Mills, N.Y.) and a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the first to jump in front, 3-2.
In the top of the second, the Rams used RBI singles by junior shortstop Nolan White (Miller Place, N.Y.) and Napolitano to regain the lead, 4-3. Freshman second baseman Patrick Dallas (Patchogue, N.Y.) followed with an RBI double to score Napolitano and put the Rams ahead by two.
Farmingdale State extended their advantage in the third as Jordan Lambert (Plainview, N.Y.) singled and scored on a triple from freshman left fielder Justin DiMartino (Bethpage, N.Y.). After senior third baseman Michael Iacobellis (Seaford, N.Y.) was hit-by-pitch and stole second base, White hit a two-run single to increase the FSC lead to five, 8-3.
Still trailing 8-3 in the bottom of the fourth, the Knights loaded the bases with two out before a throwing error allowed two runs to come home and cut their deficit to three.
In the top of the sixth, Dallas led off with a walk, stole second base, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly from Pollock to put FSC in front, 9-5.
MSMC added a run in the bottom of the sixth but were held off the board in the seventh as Farmingdale State earned the 9-6 victory.
Napolitano finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Pollock was 2-for-3 with a home run and three runs batted in. White notched two hits, three RBI's and a run scored and Dallas went 1-for-2 with a double, walk, stolen base, RBI and run scored.
On the mound, senior Joe Marino (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) (W, 1-3, 2.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 SO) earned the victory, while Stephen Clancy (Mineola, N.Y.) (Sv 2, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 SO) picked up the save.
In game two, the Rams took the lead for good in the top of the second, working two-out magic to plate a pair of runners. DiMartino was issued a walk, before pinch-runner Louis Annunziata (Howard Beach, N.Y.) moved to third on a double to the left-center field gap by Iacobellis. Both runners came home one batter later on a throwing error in the infield to give Farmingdale State a 2-0 advantage.
Mount Saint Mary scratched one run back in the bottom of the sixth on a wild pitch, before the Rams tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to push their lead to 4-1. Iacobellis reached on a fielding error at the hot corner with two down to score Richard Apollo Jr. (Seaford, N.Y.), who opened the inning with a base-knock through the left side of the infield. Iacobellis then stole second, before moving up 90 feet when the throw went into center field. From there, White reached safely on an infield single to account for the final score.
Sophomore catcher Aidan Hutchins (Wading River, N.Y.) went 2-for-3 at the dish with a sacrifice bunt, while also catching one Mount Saint Mary runner stealing.
Starting pitcher Danny Wolf (Massapequa, N.Y.) scattered one hit and three walks over his four innings of work, before giving way to Tyler Loft (Nesconset, N.Y.), who picked up his first win of the campaign after hurling the final five frames in the decision. Both right-handers fanned three Knights apiece.
Head coach Keith Osik's Rams are back in action Thursday afternoon (April 7), when they play host to Baruch College in a non-conference tilt at 4 p.m.
*****