Farmingdale State Baseball Earns Top Seed

On a sunny yet windy Tuesday, the baseball team ended its regular season with a victory over the Baruch Bearcats, 14-8, in non-conference play.

After defeating St. Joseph's (Patchogue) last weekend to clinch the No. 1 seed, the Rams looked to tune up their engines before the start of the Skyline Playoffs. Baruch, however, looked to end their season on a winning note and snatch a victory from the Rams in their home field.

Farmingdale State (25-9) will host the Skyline Conference Baseball Championship, which begins Friday. The top-seeded Rams will play their first game against  No. 4 Mount Saint Mary at 4 p.m.

The Rams closed the regular season on the offensive. After tying Baruch at 2 in the fourth inning on single by first baseman Ron Remi to score senior third baseman Ryan McAllister, the Rams lead off the fifth with a triple to left by centerfielder by Edward Bergmann (2-for-2). He was sent home on a single by freshman second baseman Thomas Rydzewski to give the Rams a 3-2 lead. Anthony Alvino kept the bats hot with a single to left field. Rydzewski was brought home via a single by junior rightfielder Terrence Bohannan (3-for-4) to give the Rams 4-2 lead.

The Bearcats retaliated with an offensive flurry of their own in the sixth. With back-to-back doubles by senior utility players Justin Torres and Aldo Altamirano, former Ram – now Bearcat – first baseman Eric Ulino cleared the bases with a three-run home run to centerfield to cut the lead to 6-5. After a passed ball and error, the Bearcats tied the game at 6.

The Rams answered in the bottom of the sixth with an Alvino single to leftfield  to take a 7-6 lead. From there on, the Rams continued with an offensive onslaught of seven hits and five runs to jump out to a 12-6 lead. The Rams tacked on two more runs in the seventh to make it 14-6. The Bearcats were able to bring in two more runs. In the end, the Rams were able to close the game out, and end their season on a winning note and with momentum.

“Our formula is get 'em on, get over, get 'em in," Farmingdale State Coach Keith Osik said. "When you play in late season playoffs, you need to manufacture a lot of runs via a bunt, or hit and run. Teams are going to be using their No. 1’s and 2’s.”

This tactic of play is called “Ozzie ball,” and it has allowed the Rams to win four straight Skyline championships.

The Skyline Playoffs start this Friday at Farmingdale State College. Last year the Rams hosted the playoffs and came out victorious. 

“It’s about familiarity and home field advantage, we’ve been playing for home field since the beginnng of the season,” Osik said.

The Rams look to repeat again and raise up another Skyline trophy this weekend.

Note: Reported by , a student journalist at Farmingdale State