SUNY Cortland Athletics

2011 NCAA DIVISION III BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Auburn (NY) Regional – Friday, May 20, 2011

Game eight: #3 Keystone College (PA) 6, #2 Farmingdale State College (NY) 2

Recap by Mark Coley

AUBURN, NY – The senior duo of catcher Brian Henry (Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington) and designated hitter Andy Vega (Glen Head, NY/Benjamin N. Cardozo) accounted for most of the offense for third-seeded Keystone College (PA), both going 2-for-5 with two runs batted in and Henry adding a run scored, in a 6-2 victory over second-ranked Farmingdale State College (NY) in the first full game of the day of the 2011 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship Auburn Regional at Falcon Park, co-hosted by SUNY Cortland and the Auburn Doubledays.

The game was originally scheduled to be the final game of the evening on Thursday, May 19, but was moved to this morning due to the suspension of the previous game due to persistent thundershowers in the Central New York area.

The Giants (34-10), one of two remaining undefeated teams in tournament play with a 2-0 record, will face top-seeded SUNY Cortland, the other 2-0 team, in the fourth of a possible five-game scheduled for today. The Rams (27-16) will play fourth-seeded The College at Brockport in the third game of the day 30 minutes after the conclusion of the elimination game between Clarkson University and Eastern Connecticut State University.

Farmingdale jumped out to a 2-0 lead through three innings before Keystone took the lead for good with three runs on three hits in the top of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and no outs, senior left fielder Roberto Santana (Orlando, FL/Lake Howell) hit into a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in the first run. After a double steal, Henry singled up the middle to score junior second baseman Esteban Meletiche (Philadelphia, PA/Frankford) from third with the tying run and Vega followed with a single up the middle to score junior right fielder Andrew Siano (Springfield, MA/Cathedral) from third with the eventual game winner.

The Giants added an unearned run in the top of the eighth when Farmingdale attempted to appeal the play at second base, but threw the ball into the outfield, before the tandem of Henry and Vega combined for back-to-back RBI with two outs – Henry singling up the middle to score Meletiche and Vega belting a triple to left centerfield in scoring Henry.

Senior shortstop Lance Ratchford (Oneonta, NY) was the third player with multiple hits for Keystone, finishing the day 3-for-4 with a run scored. Senior right hander Brad Higgins (Nicholson, PA/Lakawanna Trail) registered the win on the mound, giving up four hits, two runs (one earned) and two walks while striking out five batters in seven and a third innings pitched.

Sopomore designated hitter David Zilnicki (Riverhead, NY) was the top hitter for the Rams, going 2-for-2 with a run score. Sophomore right fielder Terrance Bohonan (Patchogue, NY/Patchogue-Medford) finished 1-for-3, driving in both runs (sac fly in the first inning, single in the third). Junior right hander C.J. Bula (Mohegan Lake, NY/Lakeland) earned the loss, yielding seven hits, three runs (two earned), and two walks while striking out five in four and a third innings pitched.