FARMINGDALE, N.Y. | The Farmingdale State College baseball team picked up a split of its home Skyline Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, defeating visiting St. Joseph’s College-Long Island by a 3-2 score in game one, before the Golden Eagles secured a 12-0, seven-inning victory in the nightcap.
In the opening contest, Rams senior right-hander Stephen Clancy (Mineola, N.Y.) fired a complete-game five-hitter, striking out a career-high 12 batters in the process. After he pitched a perfect top of the first inning, Farmingdale State took the lead for good in the home half when sophomore first baseman Jordan Lambert (Plainview, N.Y.) launched a two-out, two-run homer to right field, scoring senior Bobby Pollock (Manorville, N.Y.) on the play.
The teams traded one run apiece in the second stanza, with St. Joseph’s-Long Island cutting its deficit in half when Nick Vicino (Merrick, N.Y.) plated Ryan Decoursey (Centereach, N.Y.) on a RBI ground out, before FSC answered with a one-out base-knock up the middle by junior Nolan White (Miller Place, N.Y.), which scored left fielder Justin DiMartino (Bethpage, N.Y.), who reached on a double to the left-center field gap and pushed the hosts’ edge to 3-1.
Clancy (5-1 record; 96 pitches, 63 strikes) retired 11 of the next 12 St. Joseph’s hitters after Vicino’s RBI, and held the Golden Eagles at bay until Charles Rainone (Deer Park, N.Y.) hit a leadoff homer down the right-field line to lead off the visiting half of the seventh inning. From there, the Farmingdale State righty struck out the side to secure his side’s victory.
Sophomore third baseman Richard Apollo Jr. (Seaford, N.Y.) went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish in the opener with two doubles.
Rainone went 2-for-3 for the visitors, whose starting pitcher, senior Kevin Czeczotka (E. Northport, N.Y.) went the distance on the bump, scattering six hits and two walks over his six innings pitched.
In the nightcap, St. Joseph’s (11-7, 10-2 Skyline) took the lead for good in the opening inning of play, when left fielder Brian Forbes (Rocky Point, N.Y.), who went 4-for-5 in the game with four RBI, plated junior Phil Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) on a RBI ground out.
The Golden Eagles two runs apiece in the third, fifth and sixth innings, before plating five runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. Five St. Joseph’s players registered multi-hit games, including Decoursey (3-for-5) and Paul Gugliuzzo (Jr.; Fort Salonga, N.Y.), who each went 3-for-5, and Forbes. Freshman right-hander Charles Aurandt (Bayport, N.Y.) faced just two batters over the minimum to move to 2-0 on the season for the Golden Eagles, scattering two hits and one walk while striking out three on 70 pitches (46 strikes).
DiMartino hit a double for Farmingdale State (11-10, 6-4 Skyline), while Pollock reached once apiece on a base hit and walk. Freshman starter Danny Wolf (Massapequa, N.Y.) took the loss on the hill for the Rams, going 2-plus innings while allowing three hits and two runs (one earned).
Head coach Keith Osik’s FSC contingent is back at home for a Sunday afternoon Skyline twinbill, playing host to Yeshiva University at noon.
Farmingdale State College | 2350 Broadhollow Road (Rt. 110) – Nold Hall | Farmingdale, NY 11735 | Athletics Phone: 934-420-2482
