Game 1: Farmingdale State - 7, Old Westbury - 4
Game 2: Farmingdale State - 6, Old Westbury - 5
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. | Senior outfielder
Mike Kocovic (Mahopac, N.Y.) delivered a walk-off squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth inning of game two to lift the Farmingdale State baseball team to a 6-5 victory over Old Westbury and complete a doubleheader sweep on Saturday. With the wins, the Rams clinched the No. 1 seed for the Skyline Conference Championship and extended their winning streak to 18 consecutive games. Farmingdale State will now host the double-elimination portion of the Skyline Conference Championship next weekend, Friday through Sunday, May 8th-10th.
It was also Senior Day at FSC and a special ceremony was held in between games of the doubleheader to honor six seniors playing in their final regular season home games:
Dom LaFroscia (Sayville, N.Y.),
Derek Watts (Baldwin, N.Y.),
TJ Cox (Mineola, N.Y.),
Christopher Sais (Hicksville, N.Y.),
Ryan Plocker (Dix Hills, N.Y.) and Kocovic.
Old Westbury (17-18, 6-12 Skyline) struck first in game one with a solo home run in the second inning before adding two runs in the third to take a 3-0 lead.
Farmingdale State (24-9, 16-4 Skyline) responded in the bottom of the third. LaFroscia tripled down the right field line to score senior right fielder Richie Heyder (Holbrook, N.Y.) and junior second baseman Ryan Wasserman (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single to center to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Rams took the lead in the fourth inning with three runs on an RBI single by Sais and a two-run triple by Heyder to give FSC a 5-3 advantage.
Old Westbury added a run in the sixth inning, but Farmingdale State answered. Junior Carmine Scardina (Farmingdale, N.Y.) pinch-hit and homered to left field before Wasserman added an RBI single to center to extend the lead to 7-4.
Cox (W, 6-0, 3.0 IP) earned the win in relief, while Watts (Sv, 6, 1.2 IP) recorded the save. Senior pitcher Christian Pellegrino (Carle Place, N.Y.) started and struck out three over 2.1 innings.
Heyder led the Rams offensively in game one, going 3-for-4 with two RBI's and two runs scored, while Wasserman finished 3-for-4 with two RBI's. Scardina homered, LaFroscia drove in a run, and Sais added an RBI in the win.
In game two, Farmingdale State sscored first in the opening inning when Heyder singled through the right side to score Wasserman, and sophomore outfielder Mike D'Angelo (Mineola, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single to bring home classmate Kaolis Delacruz (Levittown, N.Y.) for a 2-0 lead.
The Rams added a run in the fourth inning when junior third baseman Christian Villacci (Nesconset, N.Y.) singled to right center to score Plocker.
Old Westbury responded with a run in the fifth inning and three runs in the sixth to tie the game at 4-4. The Panthers briefly took the lead in the seventh before Sais registered a game-tying home run in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-5.
After a scoreless eighth inning, D'Angelo tallied a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth before Sais walked and sophomore catcher Sean Maldonado (Glen Head, N.Y.) singled to load the bases. Kocovic batted next and executed a walk-off squeeze bunt to plate the winning run and complete the doubleheader sweep.
Villacci led FSC with three hits, while Wasserman, Delacruz, D'Angelo and Kocovic had two hits apeice. Sais had the game-tying home run, two RBI's and walk and Heyder finished with a single, walk and RBI.
Watts (W, 4-4, 1.1 IP)Â earned the win, tossing an inning and third in relief without allowing a hit.
Farmingdale State will now host the double-elimination portion of the Skyline Conference Championship next weekend, May 8-10. Stay tuned to SkylineConference.org for ticketing information.
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