Patchogue, NY: The Ramapo College baseball team opened the 2020 season with a split today on the road against Saint Joseph's College Long Island. The Golden Eagles took game one 2-1 while the Roadrunners earned the 10-8 extra inning win in game two. Both teams now stand at 1-1 overall.
Game One
The Golden Eagles scored two runs early in the game and Tim Woodford kept the Roadrunner bats in check with nine strikeouts over six complete innings. Woodford scattered four hits and walked two. Saint Joseph's scored their two runs in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI double from Tyler Sanderson and an infield RBI groundout from Jesse Nakashian.
The Roadrunners scored one run in the top of the fifth to cut the lead in half.
Bryan Franko was hit by a pitch with one out before
Kyle Buser ripped a double into the left-center field gap allowing Franko to score from first base. In the top of the sixth inning the Roadrunners led off with a double from
Vincent Timpanelli before the Golden Eagles were able to get out of the jam. In Ramapo's final at-bat in the top of the seventh, Daniel Deckert came into the game on the mound for Saint Joseph's. Deckert sent the Roadrunners down in order to earn the save for the Golden Eagles.
Ramapo scattered four hits in the game, one each from Franko, Buser, Timpanelli and
Aidan Supp.
Matt Stewart took the tough loss on the mound for the Roadrunners as he struck out three, walked one and scattered five hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Jeff Millet came in for relief in the fifth inning and worked the final 1.2 innings. He struck out two, walked none and let up just one hit.
Game Two
Ramapo scored in each of the first three innings to put up eight runs on the board. The Roadrunners posted four in the first, one in the second and three in the third while the Golden Eagles put one run up in the bottom half of the first. Ramapo led 8-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning when the Golden Eagles tacked on two runs while they added five in the fifth to tie the game 8-8. Neither team could push across a run in the scheduled seven inning game as the game went into extra innings.
Justin Grippo walked to lead off the ninth, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on Franko's single to left field putting runners on the corners with no outs. Buser then drove home Grippo with an infield RBI ground out while Franko moved to third on a misplayed ball by the third basemen. Franko later scored on an error to put the Roadrunners up 10-8. In the bottom of the ninth Ramapo reliever
Sean Kelemen was lifted for Timpanelli to close out the game with one out and runners on first and second. Timpanelli induced back-to-back strikeouts to end the Golden Eagles threat and earn his first save of the season for the Roadrunners.
Kelemen (1-0) earned the win in relief, tossing 1.1 innings while he surrendered just one hit.
Dan Russo started the game and worked the first 4.1 innings, he struck out four walked one and scattered eight hits while letting up seven runs (four earned).
Jeff Millet struck out five with not walked in his relief appearance of 2.2 innings while he let up just two hits.
Timpanelli led the Roadrunners on the day at the plate as he finished 5-7 with two doubles, two RBI and one run scored. Franko finished 3-5 with five runs scored and two doubles while
Kellen Hardy collected three hits, drove in two RBI and scored one run.
The Roadrunners return to action on Friday, March 14th when they travel to Winter Haven, Florida and the RussMatt Tournament. Ramapo will take on #11 UMASS Boston at the Chain O'Lakes Stadium at 6:30pm.
