Game 1: #3 Farmingdale State - 6, #2 Sage - 5
Game 2: #3 Farmingdale State - 8, #2 Sage - 0 (5 innings)
- Freshman pitcher Taylor Tedeschi Named Tournament MVP -
Brooklyn, N.Y. - The #3 seed Farmingdale State softball team won both games in today's Skyline Championship against #2 The Sage Colleges to capture their third conference Title in four years. The Rams improve to 26-13 overall and receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
After falling in Wednesday's first round game to Sage, 3-1, the Rams won out of the losers bracket on Saturday with wins over #1 NYU-Poly, 5-0, and #4 Old Westbury, 5-4, to advance to today's Championship round. With a double-elimination format, Farmingdale State had to defeat the Gators twice to claim the title.
In game one, the freshman pitching tandem of Taylor Tedeschi (Levittown, N.Y.) and Chelsea La Marca (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) split the duties in the circle as the Rams took a 6-5 victory. La Marca was awarded the win after hurling the final 3.1 innings, allowing five hits and striking out one with no walks.
Farmingdale State went up 1-0 in the first on a single by senior first baseman Aubrey Walker (West Babylon, N.Y.) to score sophomore shortstop Hillary Genova (Brentwood, N.Y.) for the quick lead. The Rams held Sage scoreless until the fourth, as they got four runs on the board off six hits, including a two-run homer by Welcome.
Farmingdale scored two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings and held the 5-4 advantage going into the seventh. In the top of the inning, Sage tied the game with a lead off homer by Faas for a 5-5 score. The Rams got out of the inning with a double play and a ground out to the pitcher, as two Gators were left on base.
In the bottom of the inning, Walker led off with a single to left and senior left fielder Rebecca Richman (West Islip, N.Y.) knocked a double over the centerfielder's head, but Walker was thrown out at home and Richman advanced to third base on the throw. Freshman designated hitter Patricia Johnson (Patchogue, N.Y.) singled but Richman was held at third. With one out and junior third baseman Kristen Flint (Brentwood, N.Y.) at the plate, a passed ball would allow Richman to score the game-winning run to force the second game.
Game two featured another start by Tedeschi and she allowed just one hit and struck out four over five innings to secure the Championship. The Rams scored seven runs in the third inning and would accumulate 11 hits in the game and make no errors, en route to the 8-0 5-inning win.
Farmingdale State's opponent for the Regionals will be announced in the NCAA's softball selection show on May 7 at 10:00 a.m.
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