Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College baseball team swept the University of Maine Presque Isle in the 2011 home opener, 15-1 and 13-1. The Roadrunners raise their record to 11-2 while the Owls fall to 1-10.
In game one Ramapo collected 16 hits, five of them extra base hits while the Roadrunner pitching staff combined for a three-hitter. They got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kevin Knox led off with a single to left field and stole second before Nicholas DiGirolamo doubled to right field plating Knox with the first run of the game. Christian Spurr then ripped a double to left centerfield as DiGirolamo came around to score, 2-0. After a ground out and a single to right field by Dan Moreno, Spurr then scored on and infield error.
The Roadrunners added two runs on three hits in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. With two outs, DiGirolamo singled up the middle before Spurr doubled to left field to put runners at second and third. DiGirolamo then scored on a pass ball as Spurr advanced to third. After Matthew Hancock walked, Spurr also scored from third base on a pass ball.
The Owls scored their lone run in the top of the third inning with an unearned run. Ramapo scored ten runs combined in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take a 15-1 lead and the Roadrunners held the Owls for the win.
Travis Zilg struck out six over the first five innings to raise his record to 3-0, he surrendered only two hits in the game. Matt Jenisch struck out three in the final two innings of work while he did not walk a batter.
Knox was 4-5 with three runs scored while DiGirolamo was a perfect 3-3 with four runs scored and two RBI. Spurr finished the game 3-3 with four runs scored and three RBI.
In game two, the Owls scored in the top of the first inning before Ramapo took the lead back for good in the bottom of the second with five runs. A leadoff hit by pitch came around to score for UMPI on a sacrifice fly, 1-0. Peter Decenko led off the bottom of the second for Ramapo with a single up the middle before he stole second base. Dan Mauriello walked before Rob Dimperio put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Pat Driscoll was intentionally walked before Knox drilled a single to right field plating Dacenko. DiGirolamo singled to centerfield allowing Mauriello and Driscoll to score before Spurr knocked in Knox with a RBI single to center field. Hancock picked up an RBI with an infield ground out as DiGirolamo scored, 5-1.
The Roadrunners added six runs in the third inning highlighted by bases loaded single to left field by Driscoll, plating two runs. The team scored two more runs in the fifth inning, Matt Buragina tripled to deep center field to lead off the inning before scoring on an infield error later in the inning before Nick Romano reached on an error and later scored on another Owl miscue in the infield, 13-1.
PJ Cerreto raised his record to 3-0 as he struck out seven, firing a one hitter over 5.0 innings while John McNeil struck out two in the final two innings of work.
Knox finished the game 3-5 with two runs scored and two RBI while DiGirolamo finished 2-3 with two runs scored and three RBI. Dacenko was 2-4 with two runs scored and 2 RBI.
The Roadrunners return to action when they host Western Connecticut State on March 30th at 3:30 PM at Jeff Maund Field.