Ramapo athletics photo

Camden, NJ: The Ramapo College baseball team won the program's third NJAC Tournament Championship with a 9-7 comeback win over Rowan University today at Rutgers-Camden Community Park.

The Roadrunners, who won their fifth straight game, earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament which begins on Friday, May 17th. The NCAA bracket will be announced on Monday, May 13th. This is the 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history for the Roadrunners and their first since 2018.

In the bottom of the first, Matt Lalomia put the Roadrunners on the board with an RBI single which plated Zach Novakowski for a 1-0 lead. In the second, Jesse Swartout and Christian Alonso each singled before Novakowski launched a three-run home run to right field to extend the lead, 4-0.

Rowan scored three runs in the top of the fourth to come within one before a leadoff triple from Phil Sedalis in the top of the fifth would lead to the Profs taking a 5-4 lead. Sedalis scored the tying run on an RBI single by Patrick Defeciani before he later scored on a wild pitch to take the lead. Rowan would extend their lead with two runs in the top of the seventh, 7-4.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Tallent was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before Novakowski worked a four-pitch walk. Zach Bailey then laced a three-run homerun down the left field line which tied the game at seven. With two outs, Robert Klawans singled before Swartout blasted a double to left field to take an 8-7 lead. Tyler Guadagno collected his 100th career hit with a big RBI double of his own which allowed Swartout to score an insurance run, 9-7.

Gerard Chiricolo entered in relief for the Roadrunners in the top of the eighth where he would throw two scoreless innings to record the save. In the ninth, he induced an infield pop fly before surrendering a single. He then recorded back-to-back ground outs including the final out of the game, an unassisted ground out to John Higgins at first base.

Ryan Lasko (2-0) earned the win in relief for the Roadrunners while Chiricolo earned his second save of the season. Dominick Ciani started the game and worked the first five innings with two strikeouts, three walks while he surrendered eight hits and five runs. James Garthaffner pitched 1.1 innings of relief, surrendering just one hit and two runs. Swarout finished 3-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Novakowski and Bailey each finished with two hits and three RBI while Novakowski scored three runs.

Mike Shannon (7-3) struck out five and let up 12 hits and nine runs for the Profs on the mound. Defeciani, Dylan Maria and Jason Morgan all collected two hits in the game for Rowan.