2026 Skyline Conference Baseball Championship - Finals
(1) Farmingdale State 5, (5) U.S. Merchant Marine Academy 2
Farmingdale State Post-Game Interview
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. |Â Led by a go-ahead single in the top of the ninth inning by freshman outfielder
Matt Faraone (East Yaphank, N.Y.), and a four-out victorious effort on the pitcher's mound by tournament Most Outstanding Player
Thomas O'Neill (Farmingdale, N.Y.), top-seeded Farmingdale State College captured its second straight and record-10th Skyline Conference Baseball Championship on Sunday with a 5-2 victory over the fifth-seeded United States Merchant Marine Academy.
With the championship, the Rams (27-9), winners of 21 straight games, have secured the Skyline's automatic qualification into next week's 2026 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. The field will be announced via an online selection show on ncaa.com at noon on Monday.
Farmingdale State senior pitcher
Derek Watts (Baldwin, N.Y.) worked out of a one-out jam with two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the first inning, inducing a comeback grounder before striking out Charles Cahalan swinging. That set up the Rams for their first run of the game in the top of the second. Faraone (2-for-4) led off the frame with a single to left field, and advanced 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore
Mike D'Angelo (Mineola, N.Y.). Faraone moved up to third base on base hit to left-center field by senior outfielder
Mike Kocovic (Mahopac, N.Y.), before trotting home on a right-side ground out by senior catcher
Ryan Plocker (Dix Hills, N.Y.) to give FSC the lead.
The Rams doubled their advantage in the top of the fifth inning, with Plocker reaching on a one-out single to right-center field. Pinch runner
Aiden Mehmel (Jr.; Mastic Beach, N.Y.) then moved to second base on a sacrifice by classmate
Christian Villacci (Nesconset, N.Y.), and came around to score when junior second baseman
Ryan Wasserman (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) dropped a single into right-center field. Farmingdale State then had a pair of baserunners on when sophomore
Kaolis Delacruz (Levittown, N.Y.) worked a walk, but USMMA's Alex Prechel made a saving catch while crashing into the left-center field wall on a long fly ball by junior and Skyline Conference Player of the Year,
Richie Heyder (Holbrook, N.Y.).
The Mariners had runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the fifth when Watts (7.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 3 K) picked Davin Fulton off of second base and forced Landon Troutt into a weak ground out to Heyder at first base to keep FSC in front.
USMMA was able to solve Watts in the bottom of the eighth inning, and tied the score at 2-2 on a two-run homer down the left-field line by Luke Kruer. USMMAÂ later had Drew Davis on second base, before O'Neill entered and struck out Jason Brown on four pitches to end the threat.
Farmingdale State regained the lead in the top of the ninth inning, with Faraone providing the go-ahead hit. Wasserman started the rally with a one-out single through the left side, before moving to third on Delacruz's single through the right side. Heyder was intentionally walked for the eighth time this season by USMMA closer Caden Pierce to load the bases, before he struck out the next hitter to give his team two outs. Faraone then sent the first pitch he saw back up the middle, driving home Wasserman to put the green and white up, 3-2. The Rams then went ahead by three runs, courtesy of freshman pinch-hitter
John Francisco (Smithtown, N.Y.), who dropped a bloop two-run single into center field to plate Delacruz and Heyder.
In the bottom of the ninth, O'Neill (11 pitches, eight strikes) worked a 1-2-3 inning, with Heyder squeezing his glove on a game-ending fly out to right field to send the Rams into celebration mode.
