Wayne, NJ: The Ramapo College baseball team completed the home-and-home NJAC sweep over William Paterson University today, 3-2. The Roadrunners improve to 12-9 overall, 4-2 in the NJAC while the Pioneers now stand at 15-8 overall, 2-4 in the conference.
Ramapo looked to score in the top of the first inning when they loaded the bases with two out before the Pioneers got out of the game with an infield groundout. WPU scratched a run across in the bottom half of the inning. Dan Abate reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on Carson Weis' RBI double to right field for the 1-0 lead.
Both teams would remain scoreless until the seventh inning. In the top half of the inning
Matt Meola took the second pitch he saw and belted his first home run of the season over the right-center field fence to tie the game, 1-1. With one out,
Nick Cuba singled, stole second and moved to third on
Anthony Kuzmenko's single to put runners on first and third.
Liam Duffy would rip a single back up the middle allowing Cuba to score the go-ahead run as Kuzmenko advanced to third. Phil Mahlik came up big with a two-out, two strike single of his own plating Kuzmenko with the eventual game winning run, 3-1.
WPU added their second run in the bottom half of the seventh to come within one. Following a leadoff walk to Mike Grasso, Steven DiGirolamo knocked him home with a single to left-center field, 2-3. Ramapo would leave two runners on base in the eighth before WPU loaded the bases in their half of the inning. With one out,
Greg Westhelle entered the game and got a strikeout and ground out to end the Pioneer threat. WPU would not go down without a fight in the ninth when the leadoff batter, Matt Ferrara reached on a Ramapo throwing error before moving to second on a sac bunt. Westhelle once again held WPU in check with a line out to center field and ground out to end the game.
Ramapo starting pitcher
Nick Recarte (1-1) earned the win on the mound, he struck out six, walked three and scattered three hits while he surrounded two runs.
Kyle Haag came into the game with no outs and a runner on first in the seventh. In 1.1 innings of work, he let up just three hits and walked one. Westhelle closed the door as he worked the final 1.2 innings with one strikeout, no walks and no hits in his third save of the season.
Ramapo collected ten hits in the game while Cuba, Kuzmenko and Duffy each recorded a multi-hit game for the Roadrunners. Duffy, Mahlik and Meola each recorded an RBI.
The Roadrunners return to action on Thursday, April 11th when they host Kean University at 3:30pm in NJAC conference action.
