Box Score

Farmingdale, NY (May 3, 2013) – Second-seeded Old Westbury scratched across a single run in the first inning and managed to have it hold up over nine frames, topping No. 3 Purchase in the semifinal round of the Skyline Conference Baseball Tournament Friday night at Farmingdale State.  

Although Purchase would load the bases in the late innings and even put the tying the run at second in the ninth following an error by Old Westbury's first baseman, the Panthers failed to score in a tight ballgame, narrowly missing out on a few opportunities with runners in scoring position.

After the first, Old Westbury (24-13-1) and Purchase matched zeroes throughout the game and even totaled the same number of hits – six apiece – but it was three singles in perhaps a nerve-induced first inning for Panther starter Matt Paz* (SR/Bridgeport, CT) that proved to be the difference.

Aside from that, Paz was brilliant on the hill, preventing Old Westbury from scoring with the bases loaded twice, including the eighth inning, when the OW Panthers had the bases jammed with one out.

For the game, Paz allowed no walks and struck out four.

But OW received a combined shutout effort from three pitchers, including starter Arismendy Nunez, who earned the win. He struck out six over seven innings. In relief, Stephen Charter pitched a scoreless eighth and closer Alex DiSanto pitched around the error in the ninth – a dropped infield popup off the bat of Josh Spielberg (SR/Oceanside, NY) – for the save.

Despite the tying runner in the ninth, Purchase's best opportunity came in the sixth, when the Panthers loaded the bases with the heart of the order up, but Nunez buckled down and pitched his way out of trouble to preserve the slim lead.

Offensively, Purchase was led by catcher Frank Fiumara* (SR/Port Chester, NY), who had a terrific game behind the dish and at the plate, where he collected two of the team's six hits.

Purchase (21-17) now faces elimination on Saturday, when the club plays the loser of Semifinal Game 1 – SUNY Maritime. The Privateers fell to reigning champion and top seed FSC in the tourney opener earlier Friday. The two will square off at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The winner of that game will play at 4 p.m. tomorrow and the loser of the early matchup will go home as part of the double-elimination bracket.