FARMINGDALE, NY – The Maritime College baseball team ran into a red-hot Farmingdale squad on Friday. After winning the opener by a 15-1 count, the Rams (17-9, 10-4 Skyline) completed the sweep with an 11-9 victory over the Privateers (16-13, 11-3 Skyline) in Game 2 at the Farmingdale State Baseball Stadium.
After Farmingdale took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1, Maritime tied it with an unearned tally in the top of the second. However, the Rams scored five in the bottom of the second, with Richie Heyder belting a grand slam to put Farmingdale in front 6-1. The Rams put up another five-spot in the fifth, then added four more in the sixth to finish off the scoring in a 15-1 triumph.
Harry Leipold (Thornwood, NY) drove in the Privateers' only run with a sacrifice fly.
Joey Goodman (Merrick, NY), meanwhile, had two hits, including a double.
Joe Demos (South Hempstead, NY) (2-1) started on the mound and took the loss. He allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits, walked one and struck out one in two innings.
Jackson Tucholski (Massapequa, NY) followed with three innings of relief before
Andrew Cavagnaro (Staten Island, NY) pitched the sixth.
Farmingdale tallied 15 hits in the contest, with Mike Kocovic notching three hits and scoring three runs. Ryan Wasserman had a pair of doubles and scored four times, while Heyder and Dom Lafroscia each posted four RBIs. Starting pitcher TJ Cox (4-0) gave up just one unearned run on six hits with a walk and a strikeout in 4.1 innings. Derek Watts tossed the final 2.2 innings, surrendering one hit and recording three strikeouts.
In Game 2, the Rams went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second before
Dylan Payano (Flushing, NY) ripped an RBI double in the top of the second. After Farmingdale regained the lead, 2-1, Maritime erupted for five runs in the fifth.
Alex Bardi (Wantagh, NY) put the Privateers in front with a two-run single, then
Chris Picarella (Levittown, NY) doubled him home. Another run came in on Leipold's RBI groundout, while Picarella scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-2 Privateers.
Kaolis de la Cruz brought the Rams within 6-3 with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, and Farmingdale went back in front with a four-run sixth. The Rams then picked up four more in the seventh, with John Francisco lifting a sacrifice fly before a three-run homer by Lafroscia increased the margin to 11-6.
Maritime battled back in the top of the ninth. Ventura began the inning with a single before Payano walked and Weber was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Picarella and Leipold each drew a bases-loaded walk, making it 11-8, then Goodman knocked in another run with a sacrifice fly to left. However, Thomas O'Neill struck out
Guytano Kiesel (Bayport, NY) to stall the rally and seal Farmingdale's 11-9 win.
Ventura finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored in Game 2, while Payano roped two doubles, scored a run and drove in another. Bardi, Picarella and Leipold each had two RBIs, and Weber crossed the plate twice.
Ryan Morash (Merrick, NY) lasted 5.2 innings on the mound. He yielded four runs on nine hits, struck out two and walked one.
Francis Montalvo (College Point, NY) (1-2) suffered the loss after being charged with three unearned runs on one hit.
For the Rams, Heyder was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Mike D'Angelo also notched three hits, and Kocovic ended up 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Lafroscia, meanwhile, went 1-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Starting pitcher Christian Pellegrino tossed 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. After Robert Malvino gave up two runs on one hit over 0.1 innings, Derek Watts (3-4) threw 3.2 innings and earned the win. He surrendered three runs on two hits and walked three. O'Neill pitched the final 0.2 innings and was credited with his first save of the season.
On Sunday, Maritime returns home for a 12 p.m. doubleheader with St. Joseph's LI (17-16, 13-3 Skyline). The Golden Eagles enter the twinbill with a one-game lead over the Privateers for first place in the Skyline Conference.
