NEWARK, NJ – Marco Mannino went 5-for-5 in #7 Rowan's 17-4 first-game win over Rutgers-Newark, and the Profs completed the sweep with a 2-1 victory in the second as Eric DiDomenico walked to force in the winning run in NJAC baseball action today.
 
The Profs won all five games in a span of four consecutive days this week to improve to 26-6 on the year and move into a tie for first place in the NJAC with a 12-2 record.
 
Mannino, a freshman third baseman, scored four runs and had three RBI, while Chris Curcio went 4-for-5 and scored two runs and drove in three in the first game. Ryan Murphy had three RBI and DiDomenico scored three runs.
 
DiDomenico was hit by a pitch four times in the first game, which is a new Rowan record, breaking the mark of three in a game, held by numerous players, with the last occurrence in 2016.
 
Donald Zellman earned the victory in the first game, while Mike Shannon picked up the win in the second game, in relief of starter Braden Waller, with Christian Bascunan earning his conference-leading eighth save of the year.
 
Game 1          
The Profs scored 17 runs on 19 hits and Zellman posted a season-high 10 strikeouts as he went 8.2 innings, with Ryan Bush entering in the ninth to get the final out.
 
Offensively, the Profs did most of their damage in the middle innings after taking a 2-1 on back-to-back doubles by Defeciani and Mostrangeli in the third inning.

Rowan scored six runs in the fourth inning as Mannino, Curcio, and Murphy had RBI singles and the Profs took advantage of a passed ball and a Rutgers error.
 
The Profs expanded the lead to 12-2 in the fifth, with four more runs as Mannino drove in DiDomenico with a single and Curcio doubled to bring home Trip McCaffrey. Mannino then scored on a wild pitch while Murphy's ground out brought home Curcio.
 
Rowan added another four runs in the sixth on an RBI double from DiDomenico to score Anthony Schooley, and another RBI single from Curcio to allow DiDomenico to cross the plate. Murphy's sacrifice fly brought home Hunter Wroniuk and Mannino scored on a wild pitch as Rowan increased its lead to 16-1.
 
Mannino registered his third RBI of the day in the seventh that allowed Brandon Shine to score and gave the Profs a 17-1 advantage before Rutgers-Newark picked up three runs in the ninth to provide the final margin.
 
Game 2
The second game was decidedly different as the Profs had just three hits and Rutgers-Newark got on the board first, scoring in the first inning.
 
Rowan tied the game in the sixth when Mannino walked and after advancing on a sacrifice bunt by Curcio and a ground out from Murphy, scored on a single by Defeciani.
 
The Profs won the game in the eighth with a two-out rally. Murphy reached base with a walk, and then advanced to third on a Rutgers drop of a fly ball by Mostrangeli. After Schooley was hit by a pitch to load the bases, DiDomenico drew a walk to allow Murphy to score the eventual winning run.
 
Rowan takes a break from conference play on Tuesday, April 27 when it hosts Immaculata and will close out the regular season with single games against Stockton on Thursday and Friday, and a first-place showdown with Kean in a home doubleheader on Saturday.