Union, NJ: The Ramapo College baseball team advanced to championship Sunday with a come from behind 6-5 win over #1 Rowan University. The #3 Roadrunners move to 25-13 overall while the Profs drop to 30-10 on the season.
Game 10 of the 2019 NJAC Baseball Tournament between TCNJ and Ramapo has been postponed and will now take place on Tuesday, May 7 at 3:00 PM at Kean University's Jim Hynes Stadium. TCNJ is undefeated in tournament play and would claim the NJAC Championship and the league's automatic NCAA qualification with a win in Game 10. A Ramapo win in Game 10 would force Game 11 between the same two teams. If needed, Game 11 would also take place on Tuesday at Kean at approximately 7:00 PM.
Rowan got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mitch Walker was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before Alex Kokos punched a single into right field allowing Walker to advance to third base with one out. Steven Hewa plated Walker with an infield single for the 1-0 lead. With two outs, Mike Manganella laced a single to the hole between short stop and third base as Kokos came home for the 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Rowan added two more runs to their lead. A one out bases loaded single from Koko plated Matt Woods, 3-0. Hewa connected on a sac fly to center field which allowed Walker to score for the 4-0 lead.
Ramapo got on the board in the top of the sixth inning with one run. Back to back singles from
Philip Mahlik and
Kyle Buser put runners on the corners with no outs.
Liam Duffy then lifted a sac fly to left field which allowed Mahlik to score, 1-4.
Vincent Timpanelli then laced a single to right-center with one out to put runners on first and second before Rowan got out of the jam. Prof starter Justin Smith induced a line out and pop fly to end the inning and hold the 4-1 lead.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh Ramapo put up five runs to take a 6-4 lead.
Liam Duffy laced a single into center field plating Mahlik and
Matt Carovillano to come within one, 3-4 before Timpanelli poked a single past the third basemen to plate Buser to tie the game 4-4.
Matt Meola came up big sending the second pitch he saw into the left-center field gap plating two runs, Duffy and Timpanelli to take a 6-4 lead. Rowan got one back in the bottom half of the inning when Eric Schorr knocked home Anthony Harrold with bases loaded infield single, 5-6.
Greg Westhelle entered the game in the seventh and surrendered just two hits earning his sixth save of the season. Rowan put the game-tying and game-winning runs on in the bottom of the ninth before Westhelle induced a strikeout and ground out to end the game, 6-5.
Jeff Millet (2-0) earned the win on the mound for the Roadrunners. He struck out two, walked two and scattered three hits in two innings of work.
Kevin Stewart started the game for Ramapo as he earned a no-decision. He struck out one, walked two while he scattered four hits and four runs in 4.1 innings. Duffy finished the game 3-4 with three RBI and one run scored while Meola recorded two RBI finishing 1-1 at the plate. Timpanelli and Mahlik each recorded two hits in the game.
