Winter Haven, FL:  The Ramapo College baseball team defeated Amherst College 11-10 in the first of a ten game southern trip today in Winter Haven Florida. Ramapo came out flat through the first five innings but pitcher Jack McDonough (Cranford, NJ) kept the Roadrunners in the game surrendering only three runs through the first five frames (one earned).

Ramapo's fortune began to change in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, third baseman Justin Leon (New City, NY) walked and pinch hitter Joseph Della Serra (Cranford, NJ) smacked a single to left, but Leon was cut down trying to advance to third. Mark Ruggeiro (Fairfield, NJ) was then hit by a pitch before shortstop Rob Dimperio (Jackson, NJ) singled scoring Della Serra putting Ramapo on the board, down 3-1. That score did not last a full batter, as senior David Deredita (Clark, NJ) smoked a triple to the gap, giving the Roadrunners their first lead, 4-3. Senior second baseman Gino Gallagher (Cedar Grove, NJ) fouled off a number of pitches before depositing a double of his own to the right-centerfield gap putting the Roadrunners up 5-3.

The Roadrunners lead was shortlived, as McDonough walked the first two hitters in the bottom of the sixth, giving way to junior righty Michael Murano (Brick, NJ). Murano struck out the first hitter he faced, before giving up back to back singles, allowing Amherst to retake the lead, 6-5. John Guagliardo (Staten Island, NY) relieved Murano, striking out the next two hitters to extinguish the fire.

The game would stay that way until the eighth, when Dimperio struck again, this time leading off the inning with a single. One out later, Deredita singled over a drawn-in infield scoring Dimperio, who advanced to third on a botched pickoff play. Gallagher walked and Joey Cacchiola (Union, NJ) grounded into a fielder's choice before pinch hitter Pete Sita (Bayonne, NJ) legged out an infield single scoring Deredita giving the Roadrunners the lead 7-6. Leon widened the gap with an opposite field two run double to the gap. Della Serra followed with a walk setting the stage for freshman pinch hitter Michael Tubelli (Cranford, NJ), who worked a full count and then laced a two run double of his own to center field, for his first college hit, and an 11-6 Ramapo lead.

Cacchiola worked an uneventful eighth inning, before making things quite interesting in the ninth. The junior righty struck the first hitter out looking before five out of the next six hitters reached base safely, and scoring four times to cut the Ramapo lead to one, 11-10. This is how the game would end however, as Cacchiola induced a groundout to short to end the game.

Guagliardo earned his first collegiate win, and Tubelli and Joseph Somma (Toms River, NJ) wrapped their first collegiate hits for the Roadrunners. Deredita collected two hits and four RBI, Leon had three hits and 2 RBI, while Gallagher was on base four times.

The Roadrunners return to action tomorrow as they take on Albright in a doubleheader at Webber International at 12:30 pm.