Box Score
Box Score / Tournament Site

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Mike Cieszko forced a game-ending groundout to short, stranding the tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position, as the 15th-ranked Rensselaer baseball team held off New York Regional hosts, Farmingdale State, 5-4, at the Farmingdale St. Baseball Complex. With the win the Red Hawks improve to 35-11 and advance to the winner's bracket. The Rams fall to 26-15.

After recording the first two outs in the ninth, Cieszko (Stevenson Ranch, CA/William S. Hart) got Brian Benvenuto (Dix Hills, NY/Hills West) to ground to shortstop, but a throwing error allowed him to reach. Kevin Curtis (Riverhead, NY/Riverhead) followed with a base-hit to center. Vincent Sanquini (Levittown, NY/MacArthur) pinch ran for Curtis and stole second to put runners on second and third. Cieszko then got Mike Labrozzi (Sag Harbor, NY/Pierson) to bounce to Tom Jebb (Ticonderoga, NY/Ticonderoga) for the final out.

Earning his fourth save of the season, Cieszko allowed one hit and struck out two in 1.2 innings. Starter Andy Opperman (Oneida, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) surrendered three runs (1 earned) on five hits. He struck out three and walked one. Freshman Dan Duval (Middleton, MA/Masconomet) pitched the middle 3.0 innings giving up just one run on three hits with six strikeouts.

The Red Hawks broke open a scoreless tie in the third inning, scoring four times on four hits. With two outs and a runner on first, Josh Brooks (Lake Katrine, NY/Kingston) singled through the right side, putting runners on first and second. Patrick Reardon (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute) drove the first pitch he saw off of the base of the wall in right, scoring the first run of the game. After a walk filled the bases, Jim Devine (Castleton, NY/Columbia) ripped the ball down the line in right, clearing the bases to give RPI the 4-0 lead.

Farmingdale St. came back with one run in the fourth and two in the fifth to pull within 4-3. Zak Nersesian (Nyack, NY/Nyack) drove in one of the runs in the fifth with a single to left centerfield.

In the Rensselaer fifth, Brooks singled to left and stole second on a strikeout by Camden Mamigonian (Dover, NH/Dover). A wild pitch then eluded Nersesian behind the plate, allowing Brooks to come around and score all the way from second.

The score remained 5-3 until the top of the seventh, when Rams centerfielder Frank Yera (Manhattan, NY/Grand Street Campus) singled to lead off the inning and stole second base. A strikeout later, Benvenuto drove a single up the middle, plating Yera to make it 5-4.

Senior pitcher Tom Heeman (Valley Stream, NY/Hewlett) took the loss for the Rams, giving up five runs on six hits and a walk over 6.2 innings. He recorded a game-high seven strikeouts.

The Red Hawks are back on the diamond tomorrow against Western New England College (7pm), while Farmingdale St. takes on Clarkson (3:30pm).