JERSEY CITY, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team won both games of its New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheader with Rutgers-Newark, 4-1 and 13-4, on Saturday. The twin bill was played at Saint Peter's University.
Head coach Mike Dickson recorded his 100th victory at the University with the pair of wins. The Profs improve to 22-5 overall with a 6-4 conference mark. Rowan is third in the American Baseball Coaches Association rankings and seventh in the D3baseball.com Top 25 Poll. The Scarlet Raiders have a 9-19 record and they are 1-9 in the NJAC.
Right-hander Andrew DiPiazza (jr. Bayville, NJ/Central Reg.) earned the win in the opener to move to 5-0 on the season. He pitched six innings and allowed just one run and two hits with eight strikeouts. Righty Dan Corvo (fr. River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) tossed the ninth for his second save. Right-hander Luis Rojas (jr. Union, NJ/Union Catholic) suffered the loss (1-3). He surrendered four runs, three earned and six hits in 6.1 innings. Rojas fanned six batters.
Second baseman Alex Kokos (so. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) was two-for-three with a double and two RBIs. Designated hitter Nick Schooley (fr. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) tallied two hits (four at bats), one RBI and one run. Right fielder Kyle Golla (sr. Palm Coast, FL/Allentown (NJ)) knocked in one run and scored one time. Center fielder Dan Shane (jr. Perkasie, PA/Pennridge) and third baseman Justin Provost (fr. Hackettstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII) each crossed the plate one time.
Shortstop Ryan Zucker (jr. Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston), first baseman Brian Boulineau (sr. Randolph, NJ/Randolph) and second baseman JC Ball (so. Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) all registered hits for Rutgers-Newark. Zucker drove in Ball for the lone run.
The Profs struck first in the opening inning. Schooley singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on Kokos' single to right. Rowan posted two runs in the fifth and the Scarlet Raiders had one. Provost led off with a base hit, went to second on a groundout then to third on a wild pitch. Golla singled down the line in right and Provost came home. Golla stole second then scored on Kokos double down the left field line. Ball came home in the bottom of the frame when Zucker reached on an error. The final run came in the seventh when Shane raced home on Schooley's hit to right field.
In the nightcap, Provost went three-for-four with three RBIs and one run. First baseman Anthony Harrold (jr. Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), left fielder Monny Strickland (sr. Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.), Shane, Schooley and Kokos produced two hits apiece. Shane and Kokos each blasted a home run, shortstop Dillon Mendel (jr. Sparta, NJ/Sparta) and Schooley had a triple and Strickland hit a pair of doubles. Kokos drove in three runs while Shane had two RBIs and two runs scored. Center fielder Ryan Flynn (fr. East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) and Mendel each knocked in one run. Schooley and Strickland scored twice apiece.
Lefty Dante Scafidi (jr. Sewell, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) threw five innings for the win (4-0). He gave up three runs on five hits and whiffed seven. Right-hander Jason Palmeri (so. Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) was tagged with the loss (2-2).
Rutgers-Newark right fielder Adam Tricarico (sr. Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway), second baseman Luke Magliaro (jr. Fairfield, NJ/West Essex) and Boulineau totaled two hits apiece. Magliaro recorded a double, a triple and two RBIs. Boulineau and Tricario each had one RBI. Zucker scored twice while catcher Chris Suleski (fr. Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills) each crossed the plate one time.
The Scarlet Raiders got on the board in the first. Zucker led off with a walk and stole second. He came home on Boulineau's base hit to center. The Profs took the lead with two runs in the third. Mendel tripled to left and Strickland scored. Mendel touched the plate on Provost's groundout. Rowan broke the game open with a five-run third inning. Shane and Kokos both smacked a two-run homer to left and Provost produced a run-scoring single. The closest that Rutgers-Newark came for the rest of the contest was five (8-3).
The Profs return home to face Salisbury University on Tuesday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m.