Auburndale, FL: Spalding University (KY) plated two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 6-5 come-back win over the Ramapo College baseball team today at the RussMatt Invitational. The Roadrunners now stand at 5-4 overall while the Eagles, who received votes in the latest D3baseball.com Top 25, improves to 11-3 overall.
The Eagles posted three runs in the bottom of the third inning on three hits, highlighted by a two RBI single from Eric Meyer. Spalding added one run in the fourth inning for a 3-0 lead before Ramapo scored their first run of the game in the bottom half of the inning.
Bobby Shannon singled to left field to lead off before
Connor Walsh ripped a double to put runners on second and third. Following the second out of the inning,
Ryan MacNaughton walked to load the bases before
Nick Camilleri drew a walk of his own to force home Shannon to get on the board, 4-1.
The Roadrunners came back to tie the game in the top of the seventh.
Austin Unglaub was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before Shannon walked. The duo pulled off a double steal before Walsh was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Following a pitching change from Spalding,
Anthony Rocchietti plated the first run of the inning with an infield ground out.
Vincenzo Sita then blasted a double to right-center field allowing Shannon and Walsh to score to tie the game 4-4.
Ramapo took a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth inning when MacNaughton laced a double into the left-center field gap, which plated Sita for the lead. Sita reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. The Eagles would come back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning and plated the game-winning run on a sac fly to right field from Quenton Brownlee to win the game 5-4.
Tyler Lombardo started the game for the Roadrunners, he struck out one, walked three and surrendered four runs including six hits in 2.2 innings of work.
Robert Sartori came in for relief and worked the next 3.1 innings with two strike outs, three walks and only let up one hit.
Greg Westhelle struck out two, walked none and didn't surrender a hit in two innings of relief.
Kevin Foulds (0-2) took the loss in the final inning of action.
Walsh and Sita each collected three hits in the game while Shannon, MacNaughton and Cuba each posted two hits.
The Roadrunners return to action tomorrow night when they go up against Franklin and Marshall College (4-3-1 overall) at 5:30pm at Lake Myrtle Field #3.
