Mahwah, NJ: The #5 Ramapo College baseball team advanced in the NJAC baseball tournament with a, 10-6, win over #6 The College of NJ today at Jeff Maund Field.
The Roadrunners (26-13-1) advance to play #2 William Paterson University, Saturday May 4th at 11:30 am at Kean University. The Lions end their season at 17-22.
Ramapo got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, senior Dave Jacob singled through the infield before advancing to third base on a stolen base and a fielding error on the play. He later scored on junior Brandon Berger's single to right field. The Lions seemed to be out of the inning with a foul out but the ball was dropped continuing sophomore Zach Carroll's at bat. He then took the next pitch he saw and laced it into center field, picking up the two RBI for a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning the Roadrunners added three more runs for a 6-0 lead before TCNJ came back with three runs in the top of the third cutting the lead in half, 6-3. The Lions then tied the game in the fourth inning with three more runs, 6-6, highlighted by a Mike Murphy double to left field, plating the game tying run.
Ramapo took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth. Jacob led off with an infield single before sophomore Chris Werr's sac bunt was misplayed. The runner's moved up a base on a sac bunt from Berger before Carroll's hard hit single to first base drove home both runs for the 8-6 lead. The Roadrunners scored single runs in the 7th and 8th innings, extending their lead to 10-6.
In the 7th, rookie Ryan Rinsky walked to lead off the inning before moving to second on a sac bunt. Jacob then drove home pinch runner sophomore Rich Policastro from second base with a single through the left side of the infield on the seventh pitch of his at-bat. In the 8th, Berger reached on an infield error before sophomore Kevin Kelly ripped a triple down the right field line, allowing Berger to come around and score.
Carroll led the team at the plate with four RBI while Jacob was 4-5 with three runs scored and two RBI including his fourth triple of the year. Joe Venturino was 3-5 with one run scored and one RBI while Berger was 2-3 with two runs scored and two RBI.
Senior Dan LaRocca (4-4) earned the win in relief for the Roadrunners. He worked 5.1 innings, surrendering only two hits and striking out two. Starter Frank Baldini worked 3.0 innings and faced one batter in the fourth; he surrendered eight hits and four runs. Senior Jimmy Knight worked 0.2 innings, scattering two hits while surrendering two runs, both unearned.
The 2013 NJAC Baseball Tournament now moves to host #1 Kean University starting Saturday morning. #1Kean will take on #2 Rowan at 8:30am following #5 Ramapo and #2 William Paterson at 11:30am. Live stat and live video links can be found at www.ramapoathletics.com while full tournament information, including ticket information can be found at www.njacsports.com.