Lakeland, FL: The Ramapo College baseball team started the 2011 season off strong, beating University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg 10-3 in Lakeland, Florida.
The Roadrunners jumped out early, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Lee Rozins sparked the rally with a leadoff single.
Rob Dimperio and
Kevin Knox followed with singles of their own, Rozins scoring on the latter. One out later Matt Hancock singled, driving in Dimperio. Nick DiGirolamo put an exclamation point on the inning by sending a three run homerun over the left field fence, making the score 5-0. Two innings later, Ramapo extended their lead, when Joe Somma's two out single scored Hancock, making it 6-0.
Roadrunner starter
Travis Zilg posted zeroes through five innings, before running into a bit of trouble in the sixth. A leadoff single, hit batsman, and base on balls loaded the bases with no outs. After striking the next hitter out, Zilg walked in the Bobcats' first run of the game.
Matt Jenisch, in relief of Zilg, induced a run scoring ground out and then balked a run home before recording the final out of the inning.
Ramapo's bats went quiet until the eighth inning, when they put the game out of reach.
Christian Spurr led off with a single, Hancock was hit by a pitch, and
Dan Mauriello sacrificed each of them up one base. DiGirolamo reached on an error by the shortstop, which allowed Spurr to score. Pinch hitter
Marco Carolla walked, setting the stage for
Pat Driscoll to lay down a suicide squeeze, extending the Roadrunner lead to five, 8-3. Dimperio capped the rally with a two out, two RBI single, making the score 10-3.
Jenisch picked up his first save of the season, going the final 3.2 innings, giving up no runs on two hits, striking out three and walking none. Zilg gave up three runs in 5.1 innings, while striking out 9. Rozins, Dimperio, and Hancock had two hits apiece for the Roadrunners. Dimperio stole two bases and drove in a pair of runs, while Digirolamo led the way with 4 RBI.
Ramapo will return to action tomorrow, March 12, with a double header versus the Mount Union Purple Raiders. First pitch scheduled for 1:00pm.
