#3 Farmingdale State - 7, #2 Purchase - 1

Old Westbury, N.Y. - The third seeded Farmingdale State baseball team defeated second-seed Purchast last night, 7-1, allowing only four hits in their first game of the double-elimination Skyline Playoffs. The Rams (23-10) now advance to face #1 Old Westbury tomorrow morning, Saturday, May 3rd at 10:00 a.m.

Trailing 1-0 after two innings, Farmingdale State put two runs on the board in the third off two Purchase errors. Freshman catcher Kenneth Johntry (Yaphank, N.Y.) scored the first run on a passed ball, before senior outfielder Edward Bergmann (East Meadow, N.Y.) came home on a groundout by junior rightfielder Michael Marino (Franklin Square, N.Y.).

In the top of the fourth, the Rams scored on a single to centerfield by Johntry for a 3-1 lead. The next three innings went scoreless, while in both the eighth and ninth innings Farmingdale State plated two more runs to secure the win and advance to the winner's bracket game. Purchase will face #4 St. Joseph's in the loser's bracket game at 1:00 p.m.

Johntry finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI, while junior shortstop Tom Rydzewski (Franklin Square, N.Y.) was 1-for-2 with three walks, a run scored and RBI. Bergmann scored two runs and had two walks for the night.

Senior pitcher Chris Dragone (Hicksville, N.Y.) got the win after 3.2 innings in relief, allowing only one hit. Senior pitcher Michael Dolce (St. James, N.Y.) pitched 4.1 innings with four strikeouts and three hits. Sophomore Matthew Fick (Commack, N.Y.) struck out the side in his one inning of work.

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