Montclair, NJ: The Montclair State University baseball team recorded a sweep over Ramapo College today in NJAC conference action. The Red Hawks improve to 20-7 overall and 5-1 in the conference while the Roadrunners now stand at 9-12-1 overall and 2-4 in the NJAC.
Game One
MSU belted out 14 hits including two doubles while they scored 14 runs. The Red Hawks took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning while they broke open the game with three runs in the third and four runs in the fourth for a 9-0 lead. MSU added two in the sixth and three in the eighth to extend their lead.
Ramapo got on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning when they scored five runs.
Robert Klawans reached on an error and moved to second base on the play before Justin Marte recorded an RBI single to drive home.
John Higgins singled to put runners on first and second before
Will Egner laced a single to center field as Marte was able to score. With two outs
Joe Wisniewski recorded an RBI double to left field which allowed Higgins and Egner to score.
Christian Alonso plated the final run of the inning with an RBI single to center field which allowed Wisniewski to score, 5-14.
Ramapo starting pitcher
Nick Danbrowney (2-3) took the loss in game one. He struck out five, walked three and let up nine runs while only three were earned.
Gerard Chiricolo worked two innings of relief with two strikeouts while he let up just one hit and two runs.
Billy Scanlon worked on winning with one strikeout and one walk while
Robert Sayle made an appearance in the 8th inning as he surrendered three runs (two earned) and three hits.
Garrett Van Alstyne pitched the ninth inning in relief for Ramapo while he did not give up a hit.
MSU starting pitcher Patrick Cuccurullo (5-2) let up just one hit in six innings of work with nine strikeouts and four walks.
Game Two
Ramapo jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning while they added one run in the third for a 3-0 lead. In the first inning, Alonso led off with a double before moving to third on a wild pitch before
Brian Baranok worked a walk to put runners on the corners. Alonso then scored on a wild pitch which also allowed Baranok to move to second.
Justin Garthaffner laced a single to left field which allowed Baranok to move to third base. Baranok later scored the team's second run as Garthaffner's stolen base attempt.
MSU scored one run in the fourth before they added two runs in the fifth to tie the game, 3-3. The Red Hawk took a one run lead in the bottom of the eighth, 4-3, before Ramapo tied the game in the top of the ninth.
Tyler Guadagno led off the inning with a walk before being lifted for pinch-runner Klawans.
Aidan Supp worked a pinch-hit walk to put runners on first and second with no outs before Klawans scored on an infield error by the Red Hawks, 4-4.
MSU would load the bases in the bottom of the ninth with no outs. With the Ramapo infield playing in, the defense would get the first out on a ground ball to second base and a play at the plate before a hard hit single into left field allowed the game-winning run to score, 5-4. Nick Sefick (3-0) earned the win in relief for the Red Hawks.
Dominick Ciani struck out three and let up four hits and three runs (two earned) in five innings of work for the Roadrunners.
Will Paoli (1-3) recorded the tough loss in relief as he scattered six hits in 3.1 innings of work with one strikeout.
Ramapo returns to action tomorrow afternoon on the road at Manhattanville College for a non-conference game at 3:30pm.
