NEWARK, N.J. (April 15, 2016) – The second-ranked Ramapo College baseball team defeated Rutgers University-Newark by a final score of 6-3 Friday afternoon at Riverfront Stadium in Newark.
 
The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rivals played their home-and-home series the last two days in tight fashion, with the Roadrunners coming out on top by two and three runs, respectively.
 
R-N drops to 3-5 in the NJAC and 11-18 overall, while Ramapo improves to 22-1-1 and 6-0 in the conference. The Roadrunners are ranked second nationally by the American Baseball Coaches Association and first by D3baseball.com.
 
Rutgers-Newark returns to the diamond for a doubleheader at NJAC rival Kean University Saturday. First pitch is set for 11:30 a.m.
 
Ramapo scored two runs in the top of the first, but the Scarlet Raiders came right back with two of their own in the bottom half. Senior right fielder Billy Taylor doubled, senior shortstop Gerry Patriziosingled, and following two outs and a walk to sophomore catcher Justin Marks, sophomore left fielderAnthony Perconte ripped a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw to tie the score.
 
Scarlet Raider starter Dominick Fazio limited the damage in the first and got out of trouble in the second with double play balls, one started by Boulineau and the other by Patrizio as each pitcher put up zeros in the second, third and fourth innings.
 
A walk and three-straight hits allowed Ramapo to score two runs before an out in the fifth, and after a sac bunt, Patrizio snared a line drive with the infield drawn in to keep at least one run off the board. The next hitter ripped a ground ball up the middle, but Fazio grabbed that and flipped to first to keep his team within two at 4-2.
 
Fazio departed after five innings with a final line of four runs (three earned), seven hits and a pair of strikeouts. The sophomore suffered the loss, falling to 0-4 on the year.
 
Ramapo tacked on an unearned run in the sixth, and Roadrunner starter Kyle Haag stranded two in the bottom of the inning – his final inning of work – to keep his side up three (5-2). Haag earned the win (7-1), going six innings, striking five and scattering eight hits.
 
Ramapo added a run in the seventh inning, and the Scarlet Raiders made a bid at a comeback in the ninth. Boulineau and freshman second baseman Ryan Zucker each singled to start the inning, and after moving up a base on a groundout, a Patrizio groundout plated Boulineau for the game's final run. Ramapo made two fine defensive plays in the inning to limit the damage.
 
R-N tallied 12 hits in the game as four players picked up more than one. Boulineau finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and Zucker was 2-for-4. Taylor was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a double, and Patrizio finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Perconte tallied two RBI and a hit for the Raiders.
 
Sophomore Dan Murphy worked two innings of scoreless relief for the Scarlet Raiders, giving up just two walks.
 
Senior second baseman Joe Venturino led the Roadrunners, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI.