2024 Skyline Conference Baseball Championship – Game 8
(1) St. Joseph's-Long Island - 12, (4) Farmingdale State - 5
2024 Skyline Conference Baseball Championship – Game 9
(1) St. Joseph's-Long Island - 9, (4) Farmingdale State - 8
PATCHOGUE, N.Y. | Farmingdale State saw its 2024 season come to an end on Sunday, as the fourth-seeded Rams (23-15) fell to top-seeded St. Joseph's-Long Island (33-12) in the final round of the 2024 Skyline Conference Baseball Championship. The Golden Eagles forced an if-necessary game with a 12-5 win in the opening contest, before recording a 9-8 walk-off victory in game two to claim their third straight Skyline Conference title.
Game 1
FSC took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as junior
Chris McGuggart (Bethpage, N.Y.) singled and later scored on an RBI single by senior first baseman
Jordan Lambert (Plainview, N.Y.).
The Rams doubled their lead in the third after sophomore
Ryan Wasserman (New Hyde Pk., N.Y.) singled, stole second and came in on a single by senior
Tyler DiRocco (Commack, N.Y.).
In the fourth, Wasserman and sophomore right fielder
Richie Heyder (Holbrook, N.Y.) recorded RBI hits as Farmingdale State went ahead, 4-0.
SJLI trailed 4-1 heading into the seventh and drew a pair of run-scoring walks to close the gap to one.
The Golden Eagles tied the game in the eighth on a solo home run by John Lynch before teammate Michael Difilippo tallied a three-run, go ahead home run to take a 7-4 advantage.
St. Joe's added five runs in the ninth as they went on for the 12-5 victory.
Wasserman recorded three hits, a walk and two runs scored, while Heyder had an RBI double and three walks. Senior center fielder
Bobby Pollock (Manorville, N.Y.) registered a solo home run and two walks and both Lambert and DiRocco had a hit and an RBI each.
Sophomore
Trevor Diamond (Miller Place, N.Y. - ND, 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 SO) pitched into the fifth inning and allowed just one run for Farmingdale State.
Game 2
The Rams fell behind by an 8-2 count through five innings before chipping away and tying the score in the ninth.
Pollock started the comeback with a two-run home run in the sixth before a Wasserman RBI hit-by-pitch and McGuggart run-scoring fielder's choice cut the deficit to 8-6.
The score remained 8-6 into the ninth inning as sophomore right-hander
Derek Watts (Baldwin, N.Y.) held the Golden Eagles scoreless in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
McGuggart led off the ninth with a single and Lambert followed with a hit-by-pitch. Pollock then hit an RBI single to cut the deficit to one at 8-7. DiRocco batted next and hit a double into the left center gap to score Lambert and tie the game. Pollock attempted to score on the play to put FSC in front, but was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay throw.
In the bottom of the ninth, St. Joseph's-Long Island loaded the bases with none out. After a strike out, SJLI's Marco Gullo tallied a sacrifice fly to give the Golden Eagles the 9-8 walk-off victory.
Pollock was 2-for-4 with a home run, three runs batted in and a walk, while Wasserman had two hits and three RBI's. DiRocco registered two hits, an RBI and run scored and freshman catcher
Sean Maldonado (Glen Head, N.Y.) reached base three times on a hit and two walks. Senior
Daniel Deutsch (Northport, N.Y.) added a hit, walk and two runs scored in defeat.
