Rams Soar to Third Consecutive Skyline Conference Championship

- Senior catcher Zak Nersesian* named Tournament MVP -

Farmingdale State - 11, Old Westbury - 10

Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State baseball team defeated Old Westbury, 11-10, this afternoon to capture their third consecutive Skyline Conference Championship. The Rams won all three playoff games and advance to the Regional Tournament to be held on May 20th at a site to be determined.

Senior catcher and Tournament Most Valuable Player Zak Nersesian (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Nyack) scored on a single to right field by junior first baseman Kevin Curtis* (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) in the top of the first inning. Senior leftfielder Donny Moscatelli* (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) reached base on an error by the third baseman, allowing Mike Labrozzi* (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) to score and putting Farmingdale ahead 2-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning after a walk and a single, senior second baseman Al Bevacqua (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) doubled down the right field line, scoring two runs to tie the game at 2-2. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases before a wild pitch scored Bevacqua and put the Panthers on top 3-2. Two walks and a single through the left side by junior centerfielder Jason Kondra (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse Minoa), increased Old Westbury's lead to 5-2. The Panthers would add two more runs in the bottom half of the fourth, to take a 7-2 lead.

The Rams would answer with three runs in the fifth as seniors Frank Yera (Manhattan, N.Y./Grand Street Campus) and Labrozzi led off the inning with base hits. Moscatelli hit a one out single to left center, scoring Labrozzi. Pinch hitter Vinny Block (Merrick, N.Y./Chaminade) hit an RBI single to left center and junior second baseman Gibran Bracamonte (Bronx, N.Y./Grand Street Campus) had an RBI double to center, putting the Rams within two, 7-5.

Farmingdale State added one run in the seventh, before five runs in the eighth to take an 11-7 lead. Old Westbury scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the eighth, to pull within one run heading into the ninth inning.

Sophomore pitcher Chris Phelan (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford), who entered the game in the fourth inning, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for Farmingdale State, securing the 11-10 victory and a third straight Skyline Conference Championship.

Farmingdale State was led by Tournament MVP, Nersesian, who went 3-for-6 at the plate with two runs scored. Yera was 3-for-5 with two runs, while Labrozzi was 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Curtis had two hits, two RBI's and one run scored and McAllister had two doubles and two runs batted in for the Rams.

Junior leftfielder Giovanni Jimenez (Brentwood, N.Y./Brentwood) was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored for The Panthers. Bevacqua had three hits and three runs batted in, while Kondra was 2-for-4.

Phelan earned the win for Farmingdale State after pitching 5.2 innings of relief, allowing two earned runs and not walking a batter.

The Rams will be having senior day before the Regionals at a date and against a team to be determined.

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