Rams Sweep Maritime in Conference Doubleheader

Game 1: Farmingdale State - 13, Maritime College - 3

Game 2: Farmingdale State - 21, Maritime College - 9

Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State baseball team improved to 16-13 overall, 11-1 in the Skyline with a sweep over Maritime College (7-13, 4-6) today in a conference doubleheader. The Rams have just four games remaining before playoffs.

Game 1 (9 innings)

In the first game, freshman right hander Vinny Messana (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Centereach) pitched 6.1 innings, including five scoreless innings, as he struck out nine and allowed just four hits and one walk. The Rams got two runs in the bottom of the third with RBI singles from junior designated hitter Gibran Bracamonte (Bronx, N.Y./Grand Street Campus) and junior rightfielder Ryan Rubenstein (Deer Park, N.Y./St. Anthony's) to take a 2-0 lead.

Senior catcher Zak Nersesian* (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Nyack) added another run in the fourth with an RBI triple to right centerfield, making it 3-0 Farmingdale. In the fifth, the Rams added two more on a 2-RBI single through the left side by senior second baseman John Matteo (Searingtown, N.Y./St. Mary's).

Maritime scored a run in the sixth after a triple by junior third baseman AJ McPartlan (Huntington Station, N.Y./Walt Whitman) and an error on the next play to score him from third and break the shutout. Farmingdale added five more in the sixth off a Bracamonte 2-RBI double, followed by 3-RBI double from junior third baseman Nick Wiwczar (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) to increase the lead to 10-1.

Wiwczar homered in the eighth to score two more runs and freshman centerfielder Ray Carmel (Waterford, N.Y./Waterford-Half Moon) hit a sacrifice fly to center for the final run of the game. Freshman left hander Rob Macaluso (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) closed out the game in the ninth inning, allowing one hit before a fielder's choice and double-play to end the game.

Wiwczar finished 2-for-5 with five RBI's, while Bracamonte went 2-for-4 with three RBI's. Rubenstein went 4-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored.

Game 2 (7 innings)

Game two started off with a four-run first inning from Maritime, followed by a seven-run first inning by the Rams. Junior left hander J.R. Lott (East Islip, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) got the call to the mound in the second inning, getting the Rams back on track with three strikeouts, no hits and a walk over the next two innings.

Farmingdale scored six runs in the bottom of the second off six hits, including a triple from senior first baseman Mike Labrozzi* (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) and a double from sophomore catcher Frank Scarlato (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North) to increase the lead to 13-4.

Maritime got four runs back in the fourth to make it 13-8, but the Rams would add two in the fifth inning and six in the sixth inning, highlighted by freshman centerfielder Terrence Bohonan's (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) RBI triple and a 2-RBI double to left center by senior designated hitter Vinny Block (Merrick, N.Y./Chaminade).

Farmingdale allowed one run in the seventh, but senior left hander James Raimondi (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) closed out the game to secure the 21-9 victory.

The Rams tied a season-high with 20 hits total in the game. J.R. Lott was awarded the win, improving his record to 2-0 this season. Bohonan went 3-for-4 with four RBI's and three runs scored. Sophomore second baseman Ryan McAllister (Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point) finished 2-for-4 with three RBI's, while Block, freshman third baseman David Zilnicki (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) and Scarlato had two RBI's each.

The Rams play next on Saturday, April 17th at the College of Mount Saint Vincent for a Skyline Conference doubleheader.

*****