Old Westbury & Farmingdale Defeat SJC to End Season in Skyline Tournament

Patchogue, N.Y. –  Top-seed St. Joseph's (20-17) fell to #2 Old Westbury (24-8) in the winner's bracket game of the Skyline Conference Tournament during the early session on Saturday, 6-5, and then to #3 Farmingdale State, 10-4, in the late afternoon session.  The two losses in the double-elimination tournament ended the Golden Eagles season and hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth. 

Old Westbury, with no tournament losses, and Farmingdale, at 1-1, both advance to the championship round on Sunday beginning at 11:00 a.m.

In the early game, St. Joseph's struck in the top first as the team took advantage of their "visiting" status.  Anthony Bonilla led off with a booming double to right center.  He was then bunted to third by James Nakashian and brought in on a single to right by Joseph Calabrese two batters later for the early 1-0 lead.

SJC left two runners on in the second and one in the third.  Things got messy in the third as the Panthers Tommy Ziegen doubled to lead off then a bunt by Stein was thrown away by Golden Eagle pitcher Josh Outsen scoring Ziegen.  Joey Walsh followed with another bunt but an errant throw by catcher James Terry allowed Stein to come around giving OW the lead, 2-1.

SJC scratched out a run in the top of the fourth led by a Ryan Walsh single, a Lynn bunt single, and a Bonilla fielder's choice that moved up the runners, setting the stage for the run to score on a Nakashian groundout to second.  The Golden Eagles retook the lead, 3-2, as Nick Girardi singled to short.

They got across another in the sixth as Lynn singled and stole second with one out and Bonilla reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, scoring Lynn, for a 4-2 lead.  In Old Westbury's half, a Calabrese error opened the door and then Nick Yip singled advancing Michael Cardino to second.  He was brought home by a Dean Sheridan fielder's choice RBI, putting the game 4-3.

Old Westbury tied it in the eighth with a two-out rally as Faust walked, Sheridan singled and pinch runner Joemar Wilson scored on an error by centerfielder Ryan Walsh.

Going into the ninth tied, SJC got a single from Girardi to lead off. He then advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Sullivan walked, Calabrese struck out swinging and then Andreani walked to load the bases.  James Terry scored Girardi as he hit a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt for the RBI.  Reliever Nick Dorcean got out of a bases loaded jam without any more trouble, but the Golden Eagles had the 5-4 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, with Old Westbury in the unusual position of getting the last at bat on SJC's home field due to tournament format, they put together a two-run rally to win the game in walk-off fashion.  It started out well for Outsen, who had gone the whole way, as he got the first batter to fly out.  Pinch hitter Jake Schwartz then got the Panthers purring with a double down the left field line.  Another pinch hitter, Robert Crocitto singled to right to bring in pinch runner Jesse Matos, tying the game at 5-5.  Outsen was then relieved by Michael Catanzaro and he quickly got the second out via a groundout to short.  However, with pinch runner Tyler Roberts on second, Eddie Hernandez singled to right to score the winning run.

SJC's Josh Outsen (5-2) was charged with the loss as he went 8.1 innings allowing six runs, but only two were earned.  He gave up six hits and three walks while striking out three.  OW's starter Caleb Olesen went six innings and allowed four runs, three earned.  Dorcean (3-1) got the win with one inning of relief.

Farmingdale handed #4 Maritime their second tournament loss and walking papers with a 7-3 win in the day's middle session.

SJC's Glenn Patriss (2-2) suffered the loss as in their second game of the day as he gave up five runs (three earned) on eight hits.  FSC's Dalton McCarthy (2-4) earned the win after allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings of relief.

St. Joseph's again jumped out early as the home field "visitor" taking advantage of two hits and a throwing error by the Rams third baseman to score two.  In the bottom of the first, Farmingdale topped the Eagles two with three of their own thanks to four hits and an error. 

In the second, Bonilla reached on another Farmingdale error and Nakashian tripled to left center to bring the teams even at 3-3. The Rams scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second to regain the lead, 4-3.

The Rams gained a 5-3 advantage in the third inning with an RBI single down the left field line.  SJC got one back in the fourth as they loaded the bases on three singles and pushed a run across the plate despite a double play.

The Rams posted three runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to extend their lead to 10-4. The Golden Eagles scored one in the ninth on a Walsh infield single to second as Farmingdale State clinched a berth into the championship round on Sunday.