GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team split a twin bill with New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opponent William Paterson University on Saturday. The Profs won the opener, 21-10 and the Pioneers came back to win the nightcap, 7-6 in 10 innings.
Rowan is 28-8 overall and 11-6 in the conference. It is second in this week's American Baseball Coaches Association Poll and sixth in the D3baseball.com Top 25. William Paterson has a 23-13 record with a 9-8 NJAC mark. The Profs honored seniors Jordan Friedman (sr. Cherry Hill,
NJ/Cherry Hill E.), Kyle Golla (sr. Palm Coast, FL/Allentown (NJ)), Shawn Leydon (sr. Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury), Sam Nocito (sr. Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape), Shane Pastore (sr. Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Reg.) and Monny Strickland (sr. Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) before the contests. Rowan also recognized the 1978 and 1979 National Championship Baseball Teams.
Rowan scored the first 17 runs and racked up 22 hits in game one. Second baseman Alex Kokos (so. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) went four-for-five with a double and five runs scored. First baseman Anthony Harrold (jr. Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and shortstop/third baseman Dillon Mendel (jr. Sparta, NJ/Sparta) each totaled three hits (five at bats) and five RBIs. Mendel recorded two triples while Harrold, Strickland and Golla had one double apiece.
Right-hander Andrew DiPiazza (jr. Bayville, NJ/Central Reg.) tossed six scoreless innings for the win. He (6-1) surrendered just three hits and struck out 10. Righty Adam Miller (sr. West Orange, NJ/West Orange) suffered the loss (2-1).
Center fielder Steven DiGirolamo (fr. Dumont, NJ/Dumont) led the Pioneers with five hits (six at bats), three doubles, two RBIs and one run. Second baseman Matt Ferrara (so. Paramus, NJ/Paramus) tallied three hits (four at bats), a double, two RBIs and two runs. Shortstop Greg Cuevas (fr. West New York, NJ/St. Mary (Rutherford)) produced a double and three RBIs and scored twice.
In the second contest, William Paterson was ahead 6-5 entering the bottom of the ninth. Strickland led off the frame and blasted the first pitch he saw over the wall in left center to tie the game. In the 10th, Ferrera hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After two strikeouts, a hit batter, a wild pitch and an intentional walk, the bases were loaded with two away. Catcher Jorge Solodkin (sr. Short Hills, NJ/Millburn) drew a walk, which forced in Ferrara to give the Pioneers a 7-6 lead. The Profs were able to put the tying run at third base in the bottom of the inning but pitcher Eric Rosenberg (jr. Paramus, NJ/Paramus) induced a groundout to clinch the win.
Ferrara ended the game three-for-five with a double, two RBIs and one run. Cuevas notched two hits (five at bats), two RBIs and two runs. First baseman Anthony Hoagland (gr. Dumont, NJ/Dumont) and DiGirolamo knocked in one run apiece. Right fielder Dan Carter (fr. Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield), pinch runner Tyler Kulisz (fr. Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills Reg.), first baseman Shane Adams (jr. Cape May, NJ/Cape May Tech) and DiGirolamo each crossed the plate one time.
Rosenberg went the final 3.1 innings for the victory (2-1). He allowed two runs and three hits while striking out four. Righty Dan Corvo (fr. River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) was tagged with the loss (0-1). He conceded one run and one hit with three strikeouts in two innings of work.
Right fielder Nick Schooley (fr. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee), Mendel and Strickland each registered three hits in five at bats and one run. Catcher Zach Leach (so. Long Valley, NJ/Pope John XXIII), Schooley, Kokos, Harrold and Strickland drove in one run apiece. Designated hitter Dan Shane (jr. Perkasie, PA/Pennridge) hit a triple and scored one time. Third baseman Justin Provost (fr. Hackettstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII) tallied a double and one run while Golla touched the plate once.
William Paterson began the scoring with two runs in the first. DiGirolamo started with a bunt single, went to second on a groundout and scored on Cuevas' single to center. Cuevas came home on a base hit by Ferrara. Rowan posted a run in the bottom of the frame. Harrold had a sacrifice fly and Schooley trotted home.
The Pioneers increased their lead to 5-1 with three runs in the fifth. Adams scored on DiGirolamo's groundout. Carter singled with two outs and went to second on a wild pitch. Cuevas plated Carter with a base hit to left before Ferrara smacked a run-scoring double down the third base line. Shane led off the bottom of the inning with a triple. Schooley singled up the middle and Shane touched the plate to make it 5-2.
Rowan made it 5-4 with a run in the sixth and seventh innings. Leach had a RBI single in the sixth and Mendel scored on a wild pitch in the seventh. Each team recorded a run in the eighth. Hoagland singled up the middle and Kulisz came home. Kokos brought in Golla with a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-5 after eight innings.
The Profs end the regular season at New Jersey City University on Sunday, April 29 at 1 p.m.