Glassboro, NJ: The #2 Rowan University baseball team came back to defeat #5 Ramapo College in a NJAC Tournament first round game this afternoon. The Profs improve to 30-8 overall while the Roadrunners drop to 27-13 overall.
Four straight singles from the Roadrunners brought in the first two runs of the game.
Julian Caruso led off with a double to center before Dominic Ciani singled to right-center field to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Zack Bailey drove in Caruso with a hard-hit single to center as Ciani moved to third, 1-0. Novakowski also singled to center to plate Ciani, 2-0, before the Roadrunners loaded the bases with no out as
John Higgins drew a walk. The Profs were able to get the next three Roadrunners out to get out of the bases loaded jam.
A leadoff single from Jason Morgan and back-to-back walks loaded the bases for the Profs in the bottom of the second before Eric Sabato lifted a sac fly, 1-0. Following an infield error for the Roadrunners, Karson Harcourt lifted a sac fly to center field to plate Suriani to tie the game at two. The Pros would clear the bases with a triple off the bat of Tyler Cannon to plate two more runs before a wild pitch allowed Cannon to score for a 5-2 lead. In the third inning, Morgan would make it 6-2 with a solo home run before the Roadrunners scored two in the sixth.
Jesse Swartout walked and later scored on an RBI double from
Matt Lalomia.
Eric Knapp bounced into an RBI groundout to plate Lalomia to come within two, 6-4. The Profs would score one in the sixth, three in the seventh and six in the eighth to extend their lead, 16-4.
Zach Coluccio earned the win on the mound for the Profs with seven strikeouts, three walks while he let up eight hits and four runs. Steven Maiers worked the ninth, letting up just one hit.
James Pazdera (5-3) took the loss on the mound for the Roadrunners as he struck out one, walked three and let up nine hits and seven runs (three earned).
The NJAC Tournament now moves to host Montclair State University's Yogi Berra Stadium. The #5 Roadrunners will take on #1 Kean University in an elimination game on Saturday at 12:00pm. The #2 Profs move on and will play #3 TCNJ on Saturday at 7pm.
