MOOSIC, PA – The second seed Rowan University baseball team defeated the seventh seed Wesleyan University (CT), 7-2 in the first round of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on Wednesday night.
The Mid-Atlantic Regional is being held at PNC Field in Moosic, PA. In the other first round games, #4 Baldwin Wallace University won over #5 Misericordia University, 8-4, #8 Haverford College defeated #1 Moravian College, 3-1 and #3 Susquehanna University had a victory against #6 Keystone College, 5-3.
In the second round on Thursday, May 15, the Profs (33-10) will play the final game of the day against Susquehanna (29-12) at 7:45 p.m. The first game will feature Moravian (32-11) facing Misericordia (29-14-1) at 10 a.m. followed by Keystone (27-13) versus Wesleyan (27-12) at 1:15 p.m. and Baldwin Wallace (26-18) against Haverford (23-18) at 4:30 p.m.
The national tournament is double elimination. The winners of the eight regional tournaments advance to the national championship that is scheduled for Friday-Tuesday, May 23-27 at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, WI.
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Easterday (jr. Westmont, NJ/Haddon Twp.) picked up the victory. He (5-1) threw eight innings and allowed two unearned runs on seven hits. Lefty Nick Cooney took the loss. He (5-3) faced just four batters and gave up two runs and one hit.
Second baseman Mark Benak (sr. South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) went two for four with a double and two RBIs. First baseman Rich Powelson (jr. Shamong, NJ/Seneca) produced two hits and scored one run. Left fielder Nick Kreiger (jr. Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) recorded two hits in three at bats and crossed the plate once. Catcher Connor Grant (sr. Shrewsbury, NJ/Red Bank Reg.) hit a double, scored one and had a RBI. Right fielder Ryan Pavlik (jr. Blackwood, NJ/Highland Reg.) and shortstop Ryan Williams (jr. Southampton, NJ/Seneca) each scored twice, while designated hitter Casey Grimes (jr. Gibbstown, NJ/Paulsboro) drove in one run.
For Wesleyan, first baseman Sam Goodwin-Boyd registered three hits in three at bats and a RBI. Right fielder Jonathan Dennett recorded one hit in four at bats and drove in a run.
Benak hit a two-run double in the first inning to give Rowan a 2-0 lead. The Profs added a run in the fifth on a RBI single by Grimes. Rowan plated four more in the sixth as Grant drove in Powelson with a double and scored on a balk. Pavlik and Williams then both scored unearned runs for a 7-0 advantage. Goodwin-Boyd recorded a sacrifice fly and Dennett had a run scoring single in the eighth to get the Cardinals on the board.
The schedule for the regional is below. The regional results and updated schedule will be available at the regional website http://athletics.misericordia.edu/sports/2014/5/6/NCAABB_0506141501.aspx
Wednesday, May 14
Game 1: #4 Baldwin Wallace University 8, #5 Misericordia University 4
Game 2: #8 Haverford College 3, #1 Moravian College 1
Game 3: #3 Susquehanna University 5, #6 Keystone College 2
Game 4: #2 Rowan University 7, #7 Wesleyan University (CT) 2
Thursday, May 15
Game 5: #5 Misericordia University vs. #1 Moravian College, 10 a.m.
Game 6: #6 Keystone College vs. #7 Wesleyan University (CT), 1:15 p.m.
Game 7: #4 Baldwin Wallace University vs. #8 Haverford College, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8: #3 Susquehanna University vs. #2 Rowan University, 7:45 p.m.
Friday, May 16
Game 9: winner game 6 vs. loser game 7, 10 a.m.
Game 10: winner game 5 vs. loser game 8, 1:15 p.m.
Game 11: winner game 7 vs. winner game 8, 4:30 p.m.
Game 12: winner game 9 vs. winner game 10, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, May 17
Game 13: winner game 12 vs. loser game 11, 12 p.m.
Game 14: winner game 11 vs. winner game 13, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 18
Game 15: winner game 14 vs. loser game 14 (if necessary), 1 p.m.