FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - In a winner's bracket slugfest, the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team lost to Farmingdale State College, 18-11, on Saturday in Farmingdale.  The Knights will play the winner of the St. Joseph's-Old Westbury game later tonight for a chance to face Farmingdale in the championship series.

After allowing three runs in the top of the first, Mount Saint Mary responded with six in the bottom half of the frame, despite recording just two hits.  Sophomore Max Tecce (Glen Cove, N.Y.) singled home the first run of the inning with a single and junior Louis Peisel (Brewster, N.Y.) followed with a run-scoring double.  All with the bases loaded, a pair of hit batsmen and a pair of walks forced in the next four runs for the Knights.

The Rams stormed back to the lead with four runs in the top of the second, but the Mount was unfazed.  With runners at first and second, sophomore John Conroy (Middletown, N.Y.) doubled to left center, plating both runners.

Farmingdale scored two runs in the fourth to take a 9-8 lead and then added an unearned run in the sixth inning to make it a two-run game.  However, it was a six-run seventh inning that blew the game wide open for the Rams.  The frame was highlighted by four triples, including a bases-clearing version from junior Kevin Curtis (Riverhead, N.Y.).

Mount Saint Mary got three runs back in the bottom of the seventh and trailed 16-11 after seven, but the Rams added two in the eighth and would hold on the rest of the way for the win.

Peisel finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Freshman Matt Prescia (Oakdale, N.Y.) and junior Billy Casey (Marlboro, N.Y.) each went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

For the Rams, Curtis batted 3-for-5 with six runs batted in, while senior Frank Yera (Manhattan, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 with five runs scored and three RBIs.

The game last three hours and forty-five minutes as the teams combined for 28 hits and 29 runs.  Farmingdale sent nine different pitchers to the hill, while the Mount used five hurlers.