Game 1: Farmingdale State 4, USMMA 3
Game 2: USMMA 9, Farmingdale State 2
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. | Led by a two-run, opposite-field home run in the bottom of the third inning by senior right fielder Bobby Pollock (Manorville, N.Y.) on Saturday afternoon, the Farmingdale State College baseball team captured a 4-3 victory on the opening game of its Skyline Conference doubleheader against visiting United States Merchant Marine Academy. The Mariners took the nightcap by a 9-2 margin.
The Rams (11-10, 3-4 Skyline) celebrated Little League Day throughout the afternoon, welcoming youth players from the Farmingdale Baseball League to the contest. The players were able to march onto the field with the FSC team for the national anthem, as well as running the bases in between games of the twinbill (Pictures follow below).
Game 1
Farmingdale State picked up three runs over the first three innings in support of senior All-America right-handed pitcher Stephen Clancy (Mineola, N.Y.), who moved to 2-2 on the season after a six-inning outing where he scattered two hits, two earned runs and three walks while fanning six Mariners (13-9, 3-3 Skyline). The hosts got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when freshman center fielder Ryan Wasserman (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) crossed the plate on a fielder's choice by junior first baseman Jordan Lambert (Plainview, N.Y.).
Two innings later, sophomore middle infielder Chris McGuggart (Bethpage, N.Y.) reached on an infield single to the left side before coming home one batter later when Pollock launched a 380-foot homer over the left field wall to push his side ahead, 3-0. Pollock moved his single-season and career home-run records on the FSC leaderboard to seven and 12, respectively.
USMMA pulled back one run in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly, before Lambert came home on a throwing error off a strikeout in the fifth frame to put the host back in front by three. The Mariners plated one run apiece in the top of the sixth and seventh innings, but were unable to level the game off senior righty Johnny Dougherty (Kings Park, N.Y.), who earned his third save on the season with his two-hit, two-strikeout effort in the seventh.
McGuggart and sophomore middle infielder Patrick Dallas (Patchogue, N.Y.) each registered two hits in the opener, while Wasserman went 1-for-3 with the first of his two steals on the afternoon.
Game 2
USMMA plated seven runs over the first six innings to take control of the teams' nine-inning contest, before FSC scratched back two and loaded the bases after the seventh-inning stretch. Senior catcher Louis Annunziata (Howard Beach, N.Y.) singled through the left side to score junior designated hitter Daniel Deutsch (Northport, N.Y.) with the first run, before senior pinch-hitter Brad Sakellarides (E. Moriches, N.Y.) scored sophomore left fielder Justin DiMartino (Bethpage, N.Y.) one batter later when he singled on a high chopper up the third-base line. The hosts proceeded to load the bases with one away in the stanza, before a double-play ball up the middle thwarted the rally.
Annunziata went 2-for-3 in the nightcap, while Pollock and DiMartino each collected a double.
Head coach Keith Osik's Farmingdale State side continues its Skyline Conference homestand on Sunday, when it welcomes Mount Saint Mary College for a noon doubleheader.
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