Camden, NJ: The Ramapo College baseball team split a pair of NJAC games on the road today at Rutgers-Camden University. The Scarlet Raptors came back to win game one in the bottom of the ninth 9-8 before Ramapo came back in game two with a 4-3 win. The Roadrunners now stand at 21-12 overall and 9-5 in the NJAC while the Scarlet Raptors move to 22-12 overall and 8-6 in the league.
Game 1:
Ramapo held an 8-1 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth before Rutgers-Camden scored four runs in the inning; shrinking the Ramapo lead to 8-5. In the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Nutley recorded an RBI double before Jack Murphy tied the game with a two RBI single, 8-8. Ramapo then turned a double play to get the first two outs of the inning before Auggie Uzdanovics poked a single to right field which plated the game-winning run in pinch runner Austin Dubler, 9-8.
The Roadrunners collected 12 hits in the game including a double from
Zack Bailey and
Matt Lalomia while
Tyler Guadagno hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. Relief pitcher
Will Paoli (2-3) suffered the loss in 0.2 innings of work as he surrendered five hits and four runs.
Jack Martin started the game and worked seven complete innings with six strikeouts, two walks while letting up just five hits and one run.
Game 2:
The Roadrunners went up early in game two when Guadagno belted his second home run of the day and third of the year, a solo shot to right field, 1-0. Rutgers-Camden took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the bottom half of the first. In the fifth,
Jesse Swartout drove in
Matt Lalomia with an RBI ground out, 2-2, before
John Higgins laced a double to plate
Zack Bailey in the sixth inning for a 3-2 lead. In the eighth, the Scarlet Raptors plated an unearned run on a Ramapo throwing error to tie the game, 3-3.
In the top of the ninth with one out
Jack Tallent was hit by a pitch before being lifted for pinch runner
TJ Roman. Lalomia was hit bit a pitch to put runners on first and second. Swartout came up big with a hard hit single to center field as Roman was able to come around and score for the 4-3 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Ramapo reliever
Gerard Chiricolo induced back-to-back strikeouts and a ground out as Ramapo came away with the NJAC victory.
Chiricolo (3-1) earned the win in relief with four strikeouts and one walk in two complete innings of work. He surrendered just one hit and one unearned run.
James Pazdera started on the mound for the Roadrunners as he struck out seven, walked two and let up just three hits in seven complete innings. Bailey led the way at the plate finishing 2-4 with one run scored.
Ramapo returns to action on Tuesday, April 23rd when they host Maritime College in a non-conference game at 3:30 PM.
