Montclair, NJ: The Ramapo College baseball team split a NJAC conference double header today on the road at Montclair State University. The Red Hawks took game one 5-2 while the Roadrunners bounced back with an 11-1 win in game two. Ramapo now stands at 7-8 overall and 1-1 in the NJAC while the Red Hawks even their overall recorded to 8-8 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Game One
The Roadrunners got on the board with two runs in the top of the second inning. With one out
Vincenzo Sita walked before
Bryan Franko laced a double down the left field line allowing Sita to score for the game's first run, 1-0.
Kyle Lisa then poked a single to right-center field as Franko scored for the 2-0 lead.
MSU would take a 3-2 lead in the bottom half of the inning scoring all three runs with two outs. The bases were loaded before Joe Norton doubled down the left field line plating two runs before the third came home on an infield single. The Red Hawks added two runs in the third inning. Dan Clemente walked, stole second and scored on Andrew Ollwerthe's single to center field, 4-2. Hayden Reyes then plated Ollwerthe with a two-out single to center field to extend the lead 5-2.
MSU starting pitcher Brian Reiss (2-1) and the Red Hawk defense would hold the Roadrunners the remainder of the game to earn the conference victory. Reiss fired a complete game as he struck out five, walked one and surrendered 12 hits.
Philip Mahlik led the Roadrunners with a 3-4 day at the plate while Franko and Lisa each collected two hits and drove in two RBI.
CJ Growney suffered the loss for Ramapo in five innings of work. He struck out seven, walked two and scattered eight hits.
Riley Weis worked the final three innings and did not let up a hit while he struck out two.
Game Two
Ramapo scored early and often in game two as they opened up an 8-0 lead in the first four innings.
Matt Meola got the Roadrunners on the board in the second inning with a triple to left-center field which allowed Sita to score for the 1-0 lead. Sita walked to lead off the inning. Lisa then laced a double to center field as Meola crossed home plate, 2-0.
In the third inning, Sita drove home
Kyle Buser and Mahlik with a double to extend the lead 4-0. The Roadrunners added four more runs in the fourth inning for an 8-0 lead. Back-to-back walks to Lisa and
Nick Cuba came with one out before
Liam Duffy recorded a double down the left field line allowing Lisa to score. Buser drove home Cuba with an infield single before Duffy later scored on a balk by the MSU pitcher.
Vincent Timpanelli plated Buser with a double down the left field line for the 8-0 lead.
MSU got on the board in the fourth inning with a sac fly from Donald Gonnelli before Ramapo added one run in the top of the fifth. The bases were loaded for Buser who worked a six pitch walk to force home Meola, 9-1. Meola led off the inning with a walk of his own. In the eighth inning, Lisa laced a two-out triple to left field before coming home on an infield error by MSU, 10-1. Ramapo added their final run of the game in the top of the ninth. Garrett Wiedemann led off with a walk and later scored on
Ryan Doerr's sac fly to center field to extend the lead 11-1.
Ramapo starting pitcher Keven Stewart (2-0) worked the first seven innings as he struck out eight, walked two and scattered three hits.
Kyle Haag pitched the eighth inning as he struck out two, walked one and surrendered two hits.
Greg Westhelle faced the minimum in the ninth inning with the help of a double play by the Roadrunner defense to end the game for the 11-1 road victory.
The Roadrunners return to action on Tuesday, April 2nd when they host Drew University in a non-conference game at 3:30pm.
