Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College baseball team split a pair of games against Stockton University today in NJAC action. The Ospreys came back to take game one, 9-8, while the Roadrunners got a dominant outing from
James Garthaffner in game two earning an 8-2 win.
Ramapo clinches the #3 seed in the upcoming NJAC Tournament and improves to 24-14 overall and 11-7 in the NJAC. The Roadrunners will host #4 seed Rutgers-Camden University at Jeff Maund Field on Tuesday, April 30th at 3:30 PM.
The Ospreys, with the combination of their win in game one and other final scores throughout the league, wins the NJAC Regular Season Title for the first time in program history. Stockton will take on #6 the College of New Jersey on Tuesday.
Game 1:
The game was tied 5-5 through seven innings of action before Ramapo scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take an 8-5 lead. In the top of the ninth, Stockton put runners on second and third with a leadoff double and single before Tony Gatti drove in both with a hard hit single up the middle to come within one, 7-8. With two outs, the Ospreys worked back-to-back walks to load the bases before Tyler Elder singled home two runs for a 9-8 lead. Reece Miller entered the game on the mound for Stockton in the bottom of the ninth to hold the lead as he earned his 8th save of the season.
Will Paoli (2-4) took the loss in relief. Ramapo collected 18 hits in game one as
Zack Bailey and
Robert Klawans each finished 4-5 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Dominick Ciani,
John Higgins and
Tyler Guadagno all collected two hits each.
Game 2
Ramapo starting pitcher
James Garthaffner (2-0) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before surrendering the first hit of the game. Garthaffner worked seven complete innings with seven strikeouts, two walks while he gave up just two runs and two hits.
Ramapo got on the board with two runs in the first inning as
John Higgins drove in
Jack Tallent and
Zack Bailey with an RBI double down the left field line. In the second, Tallent drove in Klawans with an RBI double of his own before Ciani singled home Tallent in the 6th inning for a 4-0 lead.
Stockton knocked in two runs in the seventh before Ramapo came back with two runs on their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Zach Novakowski lifted a sac fly to left field which allowed Higgins to score while later in the inning
Matt Lalomia scored on a passed ball, 6-2. In the eighth, Bailey drove in Tallent with a hard hit single to right field while Lalomia plated Ciani with an RBI fielder's choice, 8-2.
Ryan Lasko came in for relief in the final two innings for the Roadrunners. He struck out two, walked one and surrendered just one hit.
