KINGS POINT, N.Y. – No. 2 SUNY Old Westbury baseball (12-5, 9-3 Skyline) and took on first-seeded United States Merchant Marine Academy Mariners (15-3, 12-3 Skyline) in the 2021 Skyline Conference Championship but dropped a 4-1 decision from Raymond J. Bartoszek Field in Kings Point, N.Y. on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers will battle No. 4 Maritime College (12-11, 8-6 Skyline) in an elimination game at 4 p.m. today for a spot in the 2021 Skyline Conference Championship finals against USMMA.
In the home half of the first, the Panthers broke the scoring ice as
Oscar Fajardo (1-for-3, RBI) smacked a single up the middle off of Mariner starter Tyler Reistetter (W, 2-0: 7 IP, 3 H, R, ER, BB, 3 K) that brought home
Mike Manetta (2-for-4, R) to give Old Westbury a 1-0 advantage.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Mariners countered on a bunt single by Zac Skov that was placed down the third base side off of Panther starter
Patrick Quinn (L, 1-1: 8 IP, 6 H, 4 R, ER, 2 BB, 9 K) and brought home Brayden O'Connell (2-for-4, R) to knot the game at one apiece.
The Mariners continued to put runs together in the top of the fifth frame as Joey Zanetti knocked a single through the left side off of Quinn that scored Timmy Chase. Two batters later, Garrett Aichele (1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB) hit a two-out two-run single through the right side that plated Zanetti and Jack McCann to extend their lead to three (4-1).
Mariner relief pitcher Andrew Hunt (SV, 8: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) entered in the bottom of the eighth inning and recorded a pair of strikeouts in the eighth and one in the ninth to secure the save and close out the 4-1 final.
UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: No. 2 Old Westbury (12-5, 9-3 Skyline) will take on the No. 4 Maritime College Privateers (12-11, 8-6 Skyline), today, Saturday (May 8) in an elimination game as part of the 2021 Skyline Conference Baseball Championship at 4 p.m. from Raymond J. Bartoszek Field in Kings Point, N.Y.
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