Flemington, NJ: The Ramapo College baseball team swept a double header from visiting Westfield State College 10-2 in game one and 4-1 in game two today at Diamond Nation. The Roadrunners improve to 3-0 to start the season while the Owls now stand at 0-2 overall.
 
Game: Ramapo 10, Westfield State 2 – 7 innings
The Roadrunners got a solid pitching performance from Cory Heitler who recorded 13 strikeouts, three walks and scattered four hits over six innings of work. Kyle Haag worked the final inning for Ramapo with two strikeouts, no walks and just two hits. Both Heitler and Haag surrendered a single run in the game.
 
The offense got started right away in the bottom of the first inning when Matt Chemis and Austin Unglaub led off with back-to-back singles. Following one out Connor Walsh was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Bobby Shannon hit a fielder's choice to the shortstop allowing Chemis to cross home plate for the game's first run. The throw to complete the double play sailed wide of first base allowing Unglaub to score for a 2-0 lead. Ramapo exploded with four runs each in the third and fifth innings. In the third, with runners on the corners and two outs Anthony Rocchietti laced a double to the right-center gap allowing Joe Maugeri and Shannon to come around to score, 4-0. Liam Duffy and Vincenzo Sita each plated runs with a single and double respectively to extend the lead 6-0.
 
In the fifth inning, Walsh lead off with a single and later scored on an error before Duffy advanced Shannon and Rocchietti with a sac bunt to put runners at second and third with one out. Sita then drove home Shannon with a single before Nick Cuba laid down a sac bunt to plate Rocchietti for a 9-0 lead. Chemis then picked up a RBI when he drove home Sita with a hard hit single up the middle for a 10-0 score.
 
The Owls got their first run of the game in the top of the sixth inning. Nate Barnes knocked home Kyle Murphy with a single to left field. Murphy reached on a single to lead off the inning. In the top of the seventh Westfield State scored their second run when Colin Dunn plated Tyler Beach with a sac fly to right field for a 10-2 score.  Haag induced a strike out swinging to end the Owls threat and preserve the victory for the Roadrunners. Sita led Ramapo at the plate in game one finishing 3-3 with two RBI and one run scored while Chemis and Walsh each collected to hits.
 
Game: Ramapo 4, Westfield State 1 – 7 innings
Ramapo got another solid pitching performance out of their starter Kevin Stewart (1-0) who struck out ten, walked four and scattered five hits over six innings of work. Kevin Foulds earned his second save of the season. It was a pitchers dual as John Gegetskas (0-1) struck out 12 on the mound for Westfield State in the loss in 5.2 innings of work.
 
The Owls struck first in the top of the fifth inning with one run. Alex Benevides led off with a single before being lifted for pinch runner Murphy. Brett Dooley then ripped a double to left field as Murphy advanced to third with no outs. Stewart recorded a strike out for out number one and walk to load the bases before a fielder's choice from Dunn plated Murphy with the first run of the game 1-0. With two outs and runners on the corners, Stewart got John Lippincott to strike out swinging on three pitches to end the Owls scoring threat.
 
In the sixth, the Ramapo bats came alive with back-to-back singles from Chemis and Unglaub before Walsh was hit by a pitch with two outs to bring Shannon to the plate. Shannon took the first pitch he saw and belted his first home run of the season, a grand slam, over the left field wall putting the Roadrunners up 4-1. This was Shannon's seventh home run of his career. The three-run lead was all Foulds would need to close the door and earn his second shutout in as many days.  After back-to-back singles from the Owls he induced a strike out and game-ending 6-4-3 double play. The Roadrunners posted six hits in the game as Shannon led the way finishing 2-3 with four RBI and one run scored.
 
The Roadrunners return to action on Saturday, March 10th when they take on Concordia University of Chicago in Winter Haven, FL at 7pm at Lake Myrtle Field #4.