Harwick, MA:  The #3 Ramapo College baseball team defeated #4 Salem State University today at the NCAA New England Regional 6-3 to advance to the regional championship.
 
The Roadrunners (31-14) will play at 4pm tomorrow afternoon and will take on the winner of #5 MIT and #4 Salem State.
 
Mike Davis and Dan Connors recorded a hit each for the Vikings in the top of the first inning to put runners at first and second with two outs. Ramapo starting pitcher Brian Cottrell then fired to shortstop Scott Shields at second base to pick-off Davis for the final out of the inning. 
 
Ryan Beliveau laced a single down the right field line with two outs in the top of the second while Teghan Malionek singled through the left side of the infield. Cottrell then got Andrew Deloury to strikeout swinging to end the Vikings' threat.
 
In the top of the third inning, Mike Davis lined a double down the left field line with one out. Following the second out of the inning, Davis moved up to third base when a pick-off throw from Cottrell sailed into center field. Dan Connors then drove home Davis with a single through the left side of the infield to take a 1-0 lead for Salem State.
 
In the bottom of the third inning, Ryan Rinsky drilled his first career home run over the left field fence to tie the game at one before he propelled the Roadrunners to a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Chris Werr doubled to lead off the inning and Scott Peschiani drew a walk before Connor Walsh put down a bunt single to load the bases. Following one out, Rinsky smacked a 0-2 pitch to the left centerfield gap for a double allowing Peschiani and Walsh to score.
 
Cottrell got out of a first and third jam in the top of the fifth. Following two straight outs, Davis and Rich Fecteau recorded singles before Cottrell got out of the inning with a fly-out to right field.  In the bottom half of the inning Venturino drove home Rob DeAngelis with a deep sac fly to center field to take a 4-1 lead. DeAngelis ripped a single to lead off the inning to get on base.
 
Colton Fontaine hit a bouncing chopper up the middle in the top of the sixth inning with one out before he was erased on an attempt to steal. A ball bounced in front of Rinsky at home plate, he picked up the ball spun and fired down to Venturino at second base who applied the tag for the second out of the inning. Malionek then laced a single into center field to put runners on first and second before Deloury worked a walk to load the bases. Kevin Carens then laced a single up the middle to plate two runs for the Vikings to come within one. Following a pitching change for the Roadrunners, Tyler Curto got Davis to fly out to center field for the final out of the inning preserving the 4-3 lead for Ramapo.
 
The Roadrunners responded with two runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning to take a 6-3 lead. Rinsky was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and no outs allowing Peschiani to touch home plate before DeAngelis drove home Walsh with a sac fly to right field.
 
The Roadrunner defense and Curto held the Vikings scoreless in the final three innings to hold onto the 6-3 win. Cottrell worked the first 5.2 innings; he struck out three and walked one while he surrendered 13 hits. Curto came in for relief in the sixth inning and finished the game. He did not surrender a hit while he struck out two and walked one to earn his first save of the season.
 
Rinsky led Ramapo at the plate going 3-3 with four RBI and one run scored while Walsh finished 2-3 with two runs scored while five other Roadrunners collected one hit a piece.