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Baseball

St. Joseph's-L.I. Takes Home First Skyline Baseball Championship Since 2004

Championship Central
Box Score

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - St. Joseph's College-Long Island senior Nick Girardi went 5-for-5 with two doubles, two triples and the game-winning run Tuesday night, as the fourth-seeded Golden Eagles captured their first Skyline Conference Baseball Championship crown since 2004 with a 9-8, walk-off victory over top-seeded Farmingdale State College in 11 innings.

Girardi was named Most Outstanding Player of the championship, after going 9-for-16 (.563) with six extra-base hits, eight runs scored and five walks over the course of four games.

With the victory, head coach Richard Garrett's Golden Eagles (24-10) have secured the Skyline Conference's automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, which is slated to get underway in regional action on May 18.

Michael Catanzaro's (4 K) first victory of the season on the mound came at the right time, as the sophomore right-hander set down all nine Rams (20-16) hitters he faced over the ninth, 10th and 11th innings.

St. Joseph's had to come-from-behind twice in the contest to earn the victory, including a 5-0 deficit before it took its first at-bat, after FSC designated hitter Dalton McCarthy smacked a two-out, first-pitch grand slam to right field in the top of the opening inning.

A four-run bottom of the seventh inning started a see-saw effect for the Golden Eagles, as they plated four runs in the frame to take their first lead of the afternoon at 7-6, after an RBI ground out by Daniel Campanelli.

The Rams answered back in the top of the eighth inning, regaining the advantage at 8-7 following back-to-back RBI base-knocks by Kenneth Johntry (3-for-5, 2B) and 2016 Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year, Nick Attardi.

St. Joseph's fought through the adversity in the bottom of the ninth, when Girardi led off with a double to center field, and came home two batters later on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Mike Griffo to send the game to extra innings.

In the bottom of the 11th, Girardi once again led off the inning with a double - this time, to right field. Three batters later, Girardi and Griffo moved to third and second bases, respectively, on a ground out, before Campanelli walked to load the bases. Ryan Walsh then worked the game-winning walk on a full count with two down, plating Girardi with the winning tally.