Center Valley, PA: The #2 seed DeSales University baseball team held off a late-inning comeback by #3 seeded Ramapo College in the first round of the NCAA Regional this afternoon. The Bulldogs (34-12 overall) advances to take on Salve Regina University tomorrow afternoon while the Roadrunners (29-13 overall) will play in an elimination game against #4 seeded Marymount University (VA).
The Bulldogs built a nine-run lead after four complete innings before Ramapo got on the board in the top of the fifth. The Roadrunners got RBI singles from
Braden Schappert and
Zach Novakowski to plate to put the team on the board. DeSales got those two runs back as they scored one in the fifth and one in the sixth to take a 12-2 lead. In the eighth,
Nick Pellegrino singled before
Julian Schultz walked.
Eric Knapp then laced a double down the right field line to plate Pellegrino.
Jack Tallent drove in Schultz with an RBI single to center field for the team's fourth run.
Zach Barbash belted his second home run of the season with a three-run home run over the left field fence to plate three more runs for the Roadrunners. Pinch hitter
Dan Maglio doubled down the left field line before being lifted for pinch-runner
Casey Chiola.
Julian Caruso was hit by a pitch to put two runners on before the Bulldogs got the first out of the inning. A ground out moved them up one base before DeSales got out of the jam with a fly ball out as the Bulldogs held a 12-7 lead.
Michael Hooker (9-1 overall) earned the win on the mound for DeSales as he struck out two, walked one and surrendered seven hits and two unearned runs in seven innings of work. JT Anderosky finished 4-4 with three runs scored and two RBI while Bobby Dingell and John Rodrick each collected two hits and two runs scored.
For the Roadrunners,
John Hacker (7-2 overall) took the loss on the mound in four innings of work. He struck out two, walked one and surrendered seven hits and ten runs (six unearned).
Joe Micchio worked the final four innings for Ramapo as he struck out four, walked three and let up four hits and two runs. Tallent led the Roadrunners finishing 3-5 at the plate with one run and one RBI while Schappert and Knapp each collected two hits.
Ramapo will return to action tomorrow morning when they take on Marymount University (VA) in an elimination game at 11:00am.
