Union, NJ: Third seeded Ramapo College won the 2016 NJAC Baseball Championship with a 8-3 win over #5 Montclair State University today at Kean University. The Roadrunners (33-10-1) earn the NJAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Roadrunners win the NJAC Tournament for the first time under head coach Rich Martin and for the second time in program history. This will be Ramapo's 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history and fifth appearance in the last six seasons. The NCAA will release the 2016 Tournament field on May 15th around midnight and will be posted on ramapoathletics.com as soon as possible.
Ramapo pounded out 14 hits in the game scoring eight runs. The Roadrunners got on the board in the top of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. With two outs Scott Paulus ripped a single up the middle before Joe Crabbe was hit by a pitch. Bobby Shannon then ripped a single into left field allowing Paulus to score the game's first run. Ramapo added two runs in the third inning. Joe Venturino laced a triple down the left field line allowing Matt Chemis to score from first base. Brandon Martinez knocked home Venturino with a single to right field to go up 3-0. Crabbe was hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth inning before Shannon smacked a triple of his own into the right-center field gap for a 4-0 lead. Ryan Rinsky beat out an infield single to short, which plated Shannon extending the Roadrunner lead 5-0. Ramapo added two more runs in the seventh with RBI hits from Venturino and Walsh 7-0 before MSU got on the board in the bottom half of the inning.
Keith Murphy and Peter Pena hit back-to-back singles before Shannon made a diving play at shortstop for the first out of the inning off the bat of Kevin Campbell. Philip Scott then singled through the right side of the infield to load the bases with one out. Alonso was hit by a pitch to force home the first Red Hawk run of the game before Ryan Long hit into a fielder's choice allowing Pena to score. R Thieme drove home Scott with a single of his own, which chased Ramapo starting pitcher Jose Garcia from the game with a 7-3 lead. Jon Brignoni, who earned the win in the first game of the day in relief, came in and induced a fly out to right field for the final out of the inning.
MSU went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning before Ramapo tacked on one more run in the top of the ninth. With one out Chemis ripped a triple down the right field line and later scored on a wild pitch to go up 8-3. Brignoni worked the final inning on the mound for the Roadrunners and had a 1-2-3 inning once again along with a strikeout looking to end the game.
Shannon and Venturino each had two hits and two RBI while Martinez finished 3-5 with one RBI. Paulus was 2-4 with one run scored and DeAngelis, Chemis, Walsh, Crabbe and Rinsky all collected one hit each in the game. Garcia earned the win on the mound for Ramapo improving to 3-1 overall. He struck out three, walked two and scattered six hits over 6.2 innings of work. Brignoni struck out two, walked one and did not give up a hit in the final 2.1 innings.