Auburn, NY (5-20-11) – Brad Higgins turned in a stellar mound performance, while the Keystone offense used a three run fifth inning to provide support for their senior starter, as the Giants topped Farmingdale State 6-2 in a winner's bracket game at the NCAA Division III New York Regional.
The victory moves to Keystone's mark to 34-10 on the year, while Farmingdale falls to 27-16.
The third seed Giants will now play top seed Cortland State tonight at approximately 8pm with the winner advancing to the Regional title game.
Higgins, who moves to 7-1 on the season was stellar, for the Giants, allowing just single runs in the first and third innings, with only one of them earned. He allowed four hits, while walking two and striking out four. All four of his strike outs were consecutive between the second and third innings.
Lance Ratchford knocked out three hits as Keystone collected 10 in the game.
Bryan Henry and Andy Vega each added two hits, while also driving in a pair each. Esteban Meletiche scored twice.
After a scoreless top half of the first for the Giants, Farmingdale pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the inning as Frank Yera reached on an error and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Terrence Bohonan.
In the second the Giants loaded the bases with two out, but a called third strike quelled that rally. Higgins kept the Rams in check in the bottom of the inning by striking out the side.
The Rams took full advantage of a two out base on balls in the third to David Zilnicki, as the designated hitter stole second and came around to score on a Bohonan single to left to put the Rams up 2-0.
After a scoreless fourth for both squads, the Giants finally broke through in a three-run fifth.
Brian Del Rosso led off the inning with a walk and was followed up by an Meletiche single to put runners on first and second.
Andrew Siano laid down a great sacrifice to advance the runners, reaching safely himself when the Rams failed to cleanly field the play. Roberto Santana followed with a sacrifice fly to left to plate the first Keystone run.
After a double steal by Meletiche and Siano, Henry knotted things at two with a single up the middle. Vega gave the Giants their first lead of the day, 3-2, with another single up the middle, which chased Farmingdale starter Bula.
The Rams put runners on the corners with two out in the bottom of the fifth, but a caught stealing from Henry to Meletiche to Fernando Perez ended the threat as the Rams could not get the run home before the final out.
Higgins continued to pitch well, facing the minimum number of hitters in the sixth and seventh, using a double play ball in the sixth and setting the side down in order in the seventh.
A much needed eight inning run by the Giants was the result of an oddity. Lance Ratchford had tagged up from second to third on a fly ball by Perez. The next play in this sequence was an appeal by Farmingdale to check to see if Ratchford left the base early. But, Farmingdale pitcher Vinny Messena sent the throw sailing into centerfield to score Ratchford.
Henry provided a much needed insurance run in the eight, stroking a two-out single to center to score Meletiche who reached after being hit by a pitch. Andy Vega decided he wanted to get into the fun with a triple high off the left centerfield wall, bringing around Henry.
The Giants bullpen went into shut down mode over the final inning and two-thirds, with Jeremy Beeching, Adam Krebs and Derek Alex closing the door on the Rams.
