Bula, Santagata blank Ithaca in regional

C.J. Bula pitched five shutout innings, giving up just two hits with three strikeouts, as host Farmingdale State defeated Ithaca, 2-0, in Game 3 of an NCAA Division III regional.

The second-seeded Rams (31-10) will face top-seeded Cortland at noon Friday at Farmingdale State. Anthony Eilers and Michael Santagata combined to pitch the final four innings to complete the shutout.

Ron Remi went 3-for-4 and scored both runs for Farmingdale State. Remi broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning when he scored on a fielder's choice and his second run came in the seventh on Edward Bergmann's RBI single. Bergmann finished the day 2-for-3.

Ithaca threatened to make a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, as Colby Gee led off the inning with a single and pinch-runner Christian Brown advanced to third on a single by Vinny Gneo. But Santagata came in for Eilers and had back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.