AUBURNDALE, FL – The Rowan University baseball team picked up its seventh straight win with a 9-3 decision over the University of Southern Maine on Friday night.
The Profs have a 10-1 record. They are ranked 11th in the D3baseball.com Top 25 Poll and third in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) rankings. The Huskies (3-4) are ranked 15th by D3baseball.com and 20th by the ABCA.
Right fielder Kyle Golla (sr. Palm Coast, FL/Allentown (NJ)) went three-for-four with a double, a home run and four RBIs. First baseman Anthony Harrold (jr. Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) posted four hits (four at bats), a double, a triple, one RBI and four runs. Shortstop Dillon Mendel (jr. Sparta, NJ/Sparta), catcher Steven Hewa (jr. Galloway, NJ/Absegami) and third baseman Justin Provost (fr. Hackettstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII) each knocked in one run. Designated hitter Shawn Leydon (sr. Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) added a double.
Right-hander Zach Listro (so. Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Reg.) was credited with the win in relief. It was his first collegiate victory. Listro tossed two scoreless frames and allowed just one hit. Lefty Ryan Gaydou (jr. Dartmouth, MA/Dartmouth) suffered the loss (0-1).
Southern Maine left fielder Dylan Hapworth (so. Winslow, ME/Winslow) was two-for-four with a homer and two runs scored. First baseman Jason Komulainen (fr. Gorham, ME/Gorham) tallied two hits (three at bats). Third baseman Sam Troiano (fr. South Portland, ME/South Portland) and designated hitter Anthony Degifico (so. South Portland, ME/South Portland) drove in one run apiece. Troiano also scored one run.
Rowan left five men on base before breaking through for a run in the third. Harrold doubled with one out and came home on Golla's double down the third base line. Hapworth tied the game in the fourth with a solo shot to left. The Profs took the lead for good with three runs in the fifth. With one out, Harrold walked and Mendel had an infield single. Golla followed with a three-run dinger to left field and the score was 4-1. Degifico singled in a run in the bottom of the inning (4-2).
The Huskies cut the deficit to one (4-3) on Troiano's RBI base hit in the sixth. Hewa was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh and Rowan had a 5-3 advantage. The Profs added three in the eighth. Center fielder Dan Shane (jr. Perkasie, PA/Pennridge) touched the plate on an error, Harrold smack a run-scoring triple down the first base line and Mendel recorded a sacrifice fly. Provost brought home Leydon with a groundout in the ninth for the final run.
The baseball team concludes its Florida trip versus Hamilton College on Saturday, March 17 at 1 p.m.