Glassboro, NJ: The #11/13 Rowan University baseball team swept the NJAC conference opener today over visiting Ramapo College. The Profs improve to 12-2 overall and 2-0 in the NJAC while the Roadrunners now stand at 11-7 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
Game #1: Rowan 7, Ramapo 6
The two teams battled through nine innings as the Profs prevailed in the bottom of the ninth with the game-winning run. Rowan scored first in the game and held a 4-1 lead after four innings of action before Ramapo scored two in the fifth and two in the sixth for a 5-4 lead. In the top of the fifth,
Zach Barbash drove in
Jack Tallent with an RBI single to right field before
Brandon Tauber singled home
Zach Novakowski to come within one of tying the game, 4-3. In the sixth,
Nick Pellegrino belted his first home run of the season, a two-run home run, over the left field wall to give Ramapo a 5-4 lead. Rowan took a one-run lead in the seventh with an RBI single from Mason Dorsey while Joey Bogart scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Damon Suriani, 6-5. In the top of the ninth, Novakowski led off with a walk before being lifted for pinch runner
Casey Chiola.
Braden Schappert singled to put runners on first and second with no outs before a balk moved them up one base. Barbash was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Tauber lifted a sac fly to center field which allowed Chiola to slide home safely to tie the game, 6-6. Rowan would get out of the one out jam inducing a strikeout and infield pop-up to end the inning. In the bottom of the ninth, Bogart singled and moved to second on a sac bunt before the bases were loaded with a walk and an intentional walk. Jason Schooley would work a walk to force home Bogart with the game-winning run for Rowan, 7-6.
James Kahn (1-2 overall) worked the final 1.2 innings on the mound for the Roadrunners and took the tough loss. He struck out two, walked five and let up one hit and one run.
John Hacker started on the mound for the Roadrunners as he struck out six, walked four and let up five hits and four runs (three earned) in 5.1 innings of work.
Julian Caruso led the team with two hits while Pellegrino and Tauber each drove in two RBI on the day.
Game #2: Rowan 10, Ramapo 2
The Profs scored four runs in the first inning for the early lead before they added one run in the fifth for the 5-0 lead. Ramapo got on the board in the sixth with an RBI from Tauber as Pellegrino touched home plate. Rowan added two in the sixth and one in the seventh to extend their lead, 8-1. Tauber knocked in Ramapo's second run of the game in the eighth with an RBI double to left field.
Braden Schappert scored on the play as he beat out an infield single earlier in the inning. The Profs tacked on two more runs in the eighth to push the score, 10-2.
Austin Kreyenhagen (3-0) earned the win on the mound for the Profs as he struck out three, walked five and surrendered four hits and one run over six innings of work.
Michael Zalinkanskas (4-1) suffered the loss for the Roadrunners as he struck out six, walked four and let up six hits and six runs over five innings on the mound.
Thomas Schlaline worked the final three innings with two strikeouts and one walk while he let up five hits and four runs.
The Roadrunners return to action on Tuesday, March 31st when they host USMMA in a non-conference game set for 3:30pm.
