Box Score
AUBURN, N.Y. – Sophomore Patrick Reardon (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute) singled up the middle with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring pinch runner Mike Giacoia (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) from second base, to give the third-seeded Rensselaer baseball team a 7-6 victory over sixth-seeded Farmingdale in game one of the New York Regional of the NCAA Tournament. With the victory the Red Hawks tie a school record for wins, improving to 34-10. They advance to the winners bracket of the double elimination tournament and will play Ohio Wesleyan on Thursday at 7:45pm. The Rams fall to 26-17 and face Ithaca at 1:15pm.
With one out in the ninth inning, Jim Devine (Castleton, NY/Columbia) singled softly through the right side of the infield. After Giacoia replaced Devine at first, Dan Valentine (Goshen, NY/Avon Old Farms) singled to right to put runners on first on second. Reardon then battled Rams reliever Bill Garofalo (Patchogue, NY/Patchogue-Medford) to a 3-2 count before lining the ball up the middle. Giacoia beat the throw from center for the game winning run.
The two teams battled back and forth early in the contest, with the Rams scoring two in the top of the third, before Rensselaer picked up three in the fourth to take the 3-2 edge.
Farmingdale put up a crooked number in the sixth, scoring three times to take a 5-3 advantage. Leading the way offensively for the Rams was freshman first baseman Kevin Curtis (Riverhead, NY/Riverhead) who went 3 for 5 with two runs batted in. Second baseman Frank Italiano (Sayville, NY/St. John the Baptist) finished 2 for 3 with two runs.
After a 50 minute rain delay the Red Hawks were able to knock Rams starter Tom Heeman (Valley Stream, NY/Hewlett) out of the game. Taking the no-decision, he allowed four runs on nine hits with no walks over 6.1 innings. He also had five strikeouts. When the delay ended the Red Hawks promptly plated three runs, after chasing Heeman from the mound, to go ahead 6-5.
RPI held the lead until the ninth, when the Rams scored to tie the game at 6-6. Anthony Mazzilli (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon) reached on an error and was replaced by pinch runner Ray Levan (Brentwood, NY/Brentwood). Curtis came through with the second of his two RBI on the evening, singling home Levan from second base. RPI Reliever Andrew Novick (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) was able to get out of inning with no further damage, setting up the Rensselaer ninth.
Novick picked up the victory, allowing one unearned run on one hit and now walks. He struck out two in 3.2 innings. Reardon finished the game 4 for 5 with a double, a run and two RBI. Devine ended up 2 for 5 with a run scored.
