AUBURNDALE, FL – The 11th-ranked Rowan University baseball team held off Wheaton College (MA), 8-6 for its sixth win in a row at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
The Profs up their record to 9-1 overall while the Lyons have a 4-5 mark. First baseman Anthony Harrold (jr. Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) was two-for-four with a double, a triple, three RBIs and one run scored. Designated hitter Shawn Leydon (sr. Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) recorded a double and scored a run. Shortstop Dillon Mendel (jr. Sparta, NJ/Sparta) blasted a solo homer. Center fielder Dan Shane (jr. Perkasie, PA/Pennridge), second baseman Alex Kokos (so. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) and left fielder Monny Strickland (sr. Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) tallied one RBI apiece. Catcher Steven Hewa (jr. Galloway, NJ/Absegami) and Kokos each crossed the plate twice.
Left-hander Drew Ryback (so. Mantua, NJ/Clearview Reg.) went 5.1 innings for his fourth victory of the season. He struck out four batters. Righty Justin Smith (jr. Atco, NJ/Hammonton) threw the final 3.2 frames for his first save. Right-hander Brady Furdon (sr. Natick, MA/Natick) took the loss (0-1).
For Wheaton, center fielder Matt Cook (sr. Harwich, MA/Harwich) went two-for-four with a home run. Left fielder Jared Sharkey (jr. West Bridgewater, MA/West Bridgewater Middle) recorded a three-run homer. Second baseman Ryan McKeon (sr. Johnston, RI/Johnston) knocked in one run. Catcher Nick Raposo (so. Johnston, RI/Johnston Senior), first baseman Bryant Salkind (so. Rochester, MA/Old Rochester Region), designated hitter Conor Gammond (jr. Spring Lake, NJ/St. Rose) and shortstop Chris Ruocco (sr. Lexington, MA/Lexington) each had one run scored.
Rowan posted two runs in the opening inning. Harrold doubled to right center and brought home Kokos and Leydon. Wheaton got on the board in the second when Gammond came home on an error. The Profs increased their lead to 5-1 with three runs in the third. Harrold tripled in Kokos, who reached on a single. Strickland recorded a sacrifice fly and Mendel followed with a homer to left.
Shane's sac fly in the fourth made the score 6-1. The Lyons put up four runs in the sixth to cut the deficit to one (6-5). Sharkey hit a three-run blast to left and McKeon had a sacrifice fly. Rowan responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Kokos drove in Hewa on a fielder's choice and third baseman Justin Provost (fr. Hackettstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII) touched the plate on an error. Cook homered to lead off the ninth for the final run before Smith retired the next three batters to end the contest.
The baseball team battles #15 University of Southern Maine on Friday, March 16 at 5:15 p.m. in Auburndale, FL.