Justin Rosner talks about how he got out of the bases loaded nobody out situation. pic.twitter.com/IHmyo8i1gJ
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 12, 2018
The weather may not have been ideal for playoff baseball, but that didn’t effect the competitiveness from both Farmingdale and Syosset.
Prior to first pitch, there was little-to-no chance that the playoff contest was going to start on time, due to heavy rain. However, when the umpires agreed to allow the game to start on time, a roar of excitement came from both dugouts as both teams were fired up for the do-or-die game.
Considering the poor playing conditions, there was no telling how this game would pan out.
The Dalers came out of the gates firing, scoring three runs in the first inning highlighted by a Sean Sullivan 2-run bomb to left field. They would eventually scratch across another run in the second inning, providing them with a 4-1 lead heading into the third inning.
After the second inning, things started to get interesting.
To get back into the game, Syosset knew they must capitalize on any opportunity they could get to chip away, and that’s exactly what they did. Four hits in the third inning and RBI’s by PJ Daniels, Matt Tesoriero and Jake Fogleman made it a tie ballgame in the blink of an eye. The momentum was now on Syosset’s side, but that didn’t mean Farmingdale was ready to back down.
Jacob Taormina started the brief Farmingdale rally in the bottom of the third with a lead off double, followed by the go-ahead RBI courtesy of James Disanti. All of a sudden, the Dalers were back on top.
The next three innings included a number of Syosset opportunities, but no runs on either side. Four Farmingdale pitchers combined to get through the first six innings, shutting down all Syosset threats.
What’s more exciting than a one-run ballgame in a do-or-die game? Not much.
The reliable ace Justin Rosner entered the 7th inning in a save situation with expectations of sending the Dalers to the quarterfinals. However, greater challenges presented him.
PJ Daniels got things started for the Braves in the top half of the 7th inning with a leadoff single. As Daniels was rounding 1st, he slipped up and got caught in a pickle. As he was heading back to first for dear life, an E4 on an overthrow meant that Daniels would get third base on the error with nobody out.
Syosset threatened the Dalers throughout the game, but no more than this opportunity. An unintentional walk and an intentional walk meant there was bases loaded with nobody out and the tying run was 90 feet away.
Enter Justin Rosner.
An infield pop-up, a failed suicide squeeze attempt and a strikeout led to the Syosset threat turning a disaster. All of a sudden, the Braves were down to their final out. Rosner forced the final batter of the game to ground out, providing Farmingdale with the incredible 5-4 victory to move onto the next round.
“We came together as a team in the final inning and I’m glad I was able to solidify the game,” stated Rosner.
With the nail biting victory, Farmingdale advances to the quarterfinals and awaits their next opponent.
“We have all the momentum in the world right now after winning this 5-4 game, we’re going to take whoever we play into the next round and play much like we did today,” stated James Disanti who had the go-ahead RBI for Farmingdale. “We’re very pumped,” he added.
