Ryan Mallon struck out six batters in 3.2 shutout innings to record the win and send the Rams to the finals. He is our @BsbLifestyle101 Player of the Game. pic.twitter.com/pqa9H5OPtH
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 6, 2019
“Ozzie Ball” is a phrase that was coined to reflect the style of play Farmingdale State Head Coach Keith Osik asks of his team.
A major component of said style of play includes bunting and that was the difference in a winner’s bracket game that sent Farmingdale State to the Skyline Conference Championship game which will be played tomorrow. They outlasted No. 2 seed USMMA, 5-4, in a thrilling 12-inning game.
Cam Alfano came up with the bases loaded and 1-out following an intentional walk of Tyler Schrimpf. Alfano made Merchant Marine Academy pay with a perfectly executed bunt that not only allowed the go-ahead run to score but allowed him to beat out the throw to first.
The Rams sent reliever Ryan Mallon back out to the mound in the bottom of the inning and he pulled a magic trick, escaping a 1st & 3rd, one out jam with a foul pop out and a ground out to second base. He did an outstanding job of relief, he entered in the bottom of the ninth inning in a tie game following a game-tying two-run single off the bat of Jesse Reinebold.
The single thwarted an outstanding effort by Rams’ starting pitcher Matthew Constantine. He went 8.1 IP and exited with a 4-2 lead.
The Rams had built up a 4-0 lead against USMMA starter Joe Raab. The runs came on an RBI double by Vin Napolitano and a 2-R triple by Mike Amandola in the third inning. They added a fourth run in the fifth inning on a sac fly by Napolitano but their offense stalled from that point on.
Raab wound up going eight innings, allowing 4 ER on five hits with seven strikeouts before giving way to Andrew Hunt.
The game got really interesting in the bottom of the eighth. USMMA got runners on 1st & 2nd with one out for Matt Mundorf, who was 3-for-3 at the moment. Constantine left one over the middle of the plate and Mundorf smoked it but it went right into the glove of third baseman Morgan McCarthy, who reacted quickly to double Vincenzo Alteri off of second base to end the inning.
Needing just three outs to punch their ticket to the Championship game, they sent Constantine back out for the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single to Tyler Mowry and another to Zac Skov. Constantine then made a terrific play to nail the lead runner on a sacrifice bunt attempt for the first out. Garrett Aichele hit a dribbler along the first base line that got between Constantine and the first baseman to load the bases with one out. Keith Osik came to the mound to make the switch and bring in reliever Anthony Viscone. He did his job getting a ground ball but it snuck past a diving Shawn Blasberg to score two runs and tie the game.
That’s when Mallon came in. With the game hanging in the balance, he came up clutch getting Alteri to pop out to McCarthy at third and striking out Kyle Cunningham.
After a few scoreless innings, Farmingdale broke through in the 12th.
McCarthy led off with a single to left. Jason Conti reached on a perfect bunt attempt and beat out the throw. Blasberg bunted them both over to scoring position, and Tyler Schrimpf was intentionally walked to bring up Alfano. He got the bunt down and then some. He gave the Rams the lead and they led 5-4. After a foiled squeeze attempt for the second out and a walk to Napolitano, Vinny Rice smoked one to left but right at the left fielder to end the inning.
Mallon ran into trouble in the bottom of the inning, allowing two singles to put runners on 1st & 3rd with no outs, but a pop up behind the plate and a ground out to second base ended it.
The Rams showed a ton of resiliency with the victory. They are now entering the Skyline Conference championship tomorrow with two wins and no losses, needing just one win on their home turf to advance to the NCAA Regionals. They are looking to capture their first title since 2014.
USMMA will have to bounce right back and face Old Westbury to advance to tomorrow.
