Box Score

Old Westbury, NY (May 3, 2014) – The last semifinal matchup Saturday night came down to the top two teams in the Skyline Conference, a dual of rival SUNY Panthers, both looking to advance to tournament championship Sunday.

No. 1 Old Westbury, hosting the tourney at the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex, and No. 2 Purchase both finished the season with identical 12-4 conference records, but the host Panthers held the tiebreaker to earn the top seed and utilized the home-field advantage and an early lead Saturday to hold on and defeat Purchase 4-3, advancing to the finale against reigning champion, No. 3 Farmingdale State.

FSC, which defeated Purchase Friday night and Old Westbury in the early game on Saturday, will now face OW in the 11 a.m. morning title game Sunday. The Rams have won six straight conference crowns to capture the conference's automatic bid to the NCAAs. FSC and OW have met in the conference title series for the past five straight seasons. 

As for the second semifinal game to decide the Rams' opponent in the championship, Old Westbury started strong with two runs on three hits in the first inning. The frame was highlighted by a double by Nick Yip and a two-RBI single by John Angelino.

Purchase answered back with two base runners in the bottom of the first, but Yip made a diving grab with two outs to end the inning and the threat.

Panther head coach Adam Taraska relieved starter Christian Knochen (JR/Cornwall, NY) early for Miguel Reyes (FR/Bronx, NY). Knochen battled, even escaping a bases loaded jam, but the rival Panthers kept the pressure on. Old Westbury tacked on a single run in the third, manufacturing the third run of the game on two hits and an error in the inning.

Purchase first baseman Michael Piekarczyk (FR/Dudley, MA) helped the Panthers stay in the game early, scooping a low throw – one his many highlights on the weekend defensively at first – with runners on, that helped Purchase get back in the dugout.   

Old Westbury starter Frank DiMaria was locked in after Yip's game-changing catch in the first. The righty, who is known for clutch playoff performances, coasted into the fifth, posting four scoreless frames from the outset. Through five, he only allowed one hit until a double by Teofilo Ramirez (SO/Queens, NY). Purchase couldn't bring Ramirez around to score and DiMaria and Old Westbury took a 3-0 margin into the sixth.

Meanwhile, Reyes and the Panther defense kept Purchase within striking distance.

In the seventh, Taraska went to the bullpen and called upon two pitchers from the previous two games over the last two days, first replacing Reyes with staff ace Adam Brant (SO/Hyde Park, NY), who pitched Friday night, and then later lefty Jacob Vazquez (FR/Cortlandt Manor, NY), who appeared in relief in the 10-2 victory over St. Joseph's College-LI earlier in the day. Old Westbury managed to add an additional insurance run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh, pushing the lead to four runs. That run would prove to be the difference.

DiMaria held down Purchase through the eighth, when the Panthers got on the board on an RBI single by Elan Trischitta (JR/Saugerties, NY). The line drive plated Michael Skoller (SR/East Meadow, NY) and cut the deficit to 4-1.

It also hyped Purchase and brought life to the bench in the late innings. Fueled by their first run, the Panthers put together a three-run rally.  

Closer Alex DiSanto relieved DiMaria, who pitched eight strong innings for Old Westbury.

Purchase cut the margin right in half on a clutch double by Jonas, which scored the second run, and then Jay Ruiz (JR/Bronx, NY) followed with a single up the middle to score Jonas.

Despite allowing two runs, DiSanto helped Old Westbury get out of the eighth and finished off the game and narrow win in the ninth by striking out pinch hitter Ronald Echavarria (SR/Bronx, NY), leadoff hitter Michael Sarni (SR/Shelton, CT) and Piekarczyk to end the game. Purchase showed its mettle as Skoller laced a two-out single to place the tying run on base. But DiSanto buckled down and recorded his fourth save of the season.    

Offensively, Old Westbury was led by Angelino, who finished with three hits and three RBIs. The Panthers were paced by Trischitta, Jonas and Ruiz offensively, and Reyes, who went four innings on the mound.

Old Westbury improved to 20-21 in the win. The Panthers are now 17-12 and remain eligible for the ECAC Metro Tournament.