Vinny Rice was named Most Outstanding Player of the Skyline Conference Tournament pic.twitter.com/IWOlmeoLyL
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 7, 2019
For much of the past two months, Farmingdale State has showed that they were the top team in the Skyline Conference and they made it official by capturing the crown with an 8-5 victory over SUNY Old Westbury on their home turf.
Senior Vinny Rice was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He had a huge championship game beginning with a two-run double in the first inning to get the Rams on the board.
“This means everything,” he said. “The best thing about going to Farmingdale is that there’s one goal and that’s to win,” he said following the game. “Time and time again we’re always here. Ozzie (Keith Osik) made me the best player I could be for three years. I think I speak on behalf of the whole team when I see this ones for him,” he added.
After defeating USMMA in 12 innings yesterday, they got out to an early 5-0 lead against No. 3 Old Westbury today. After Rice’s two-run hit, they added three runs in the third inning on an RBI double by Vinny Napolitano, sac fly by Ryan DePalma and an RBI single by Morgan McCarthy.
And Farmingdale State is your 2019 Skyline Conference Champs ! pic.twitter.com/N0ccC8e8kM
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 7, 2019
Their starting pitcher, Nicholas Rooney, cruised through the first three innings and induced a 1-6-3 double play in the fourth inning but was taken out. The Panthers mounted a rally, scoring four runs on a bases loaded walk, a hit by pitch and a two-run single by Mike Manetta to make it a close ballgame.
The Rams added runs in the fifth and sixth innings to open up a 7-4 lead but the Panthers would not go down easily.
In the sixth inning, Old Westbury loaded the bases against yesterday’s winning pitcher, Ryan Mallon, and Coach Osik called on his ace, Matthew Constantine. He pitched 8.1 innings the night before and certainly running on fumes but was able to induce a foul pop out to end the sixth.
In the bottom of the seventh, John Condon led off with a single and scored on Drew Robertson‘s RBI double to make it 7-5 but Michael Borsch lined out to Rice in right field, who made a nice sliding catch to end the inning.
Joe Marino fired a 1-2-3 eighth inning to get the Rams to within three outs away, and his offense added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on an unearned run that scored Jimmy Mattera.
Steven Burke took the ball for the ninth. Working on three days rest, he had his good stuff and sent the Panthers down 1-2-3 with the final out coming on a ground out to second.
It was Farmingdale’s first Conference Championship since 2014, when they defeated Old Westbury in what was their seventh consecutive title.
They improve to 32-7 on the season and earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Division-III Regionals. They will wait to hear which Region they will be sent to. For now, they will enjoy the victory
