AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) capped off a five-run fourth with a go-ahead two-run home run to lift the Roger Williams University Baseball team to a 10-8 win over Ramapo College on Saturday morning at the Russmatt Baseball Complex. The home run was a part of a four-RBI game for Bonavita in support of a superb 5.1 innings of relief by Chris Flynn (Naugatuck, Conn.).
With the win, RWU completes their Florida Spring Break trip with a perfect 10-0 record, and they are one of just seven Division III schools to be undefeated to this point this spring. However, the Hawks have played more games than all but one of those teams. The Roadrunners, on the other hand, also complete their slate of games in the Sunshine State and drop to 4-7 on the campaign.
Connor Hewlette (Deer Park, N.Y.) got the start for the Hawks but could not complete four innings of work on the mound, allowing six runs, five earned, on three walks and five hits despite striking out seven but he did not factor into the decision. Earning the win for RWU instead was Flynn who improved to 2-0 on the year by throwing 5.2 innings of scoreless baseball in relief. Along the way he only allowed three walks and one hit while fanning 11.
Nick Danbrowney (Barnegat, N.J.) took the loss for Ramapo to fall to 1-1. He went the first 4.1 innings allowing nine runs but only four of them were earned. He walked four and allowed seven hits while striking out six.
Hawk Highlights
Ben Bonavita: 2-for-2, HR, SB, 2 BB, 4 RBI, 2 RS
Owen Hibbard: 2-for-4, 2B, SB, RS
Tyler Cedeno: 1-for-3, 2 SB, BB, RBI, 2 RS
Jack Morin: 0-for-2, 2 SB, 2 BB, RBI, RS
Connor Hewlette: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Chris Flynn: (W, 2-0), 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K
For The Opponents
Matt Lalomia: 2-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI, RS
Brian Baranock: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 RS
Justin Garthaffner: 1-for-2, BB, RBI, RS
Sean Donaghue: 1-for-4, RBI, RS
Nick Danbrowney: (L, 1-1), 4.1 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
How It Happened
Playing as the designated home team to conclude their Florida trip, Roger Williams sent Connor Hewlette (Deer Park, N.Y.) to the mound and he set down Ramapo in order in the top of the first inning. The offense would then stake him to a quick advantage in the home half. Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) would take the first offering from Nick Danbrowney (Barnegat, N.J.) off the shoulder to reach on a hit by pitch before going first-to-third on a single through the right side by Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.). Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) would plate the run by scorching a sacrifice fly to right field and the Hawks were on the board first.
The Roadrunners would counter with the first of four lead changes in the game in the second inning. Justin Garthaffner (Brooklyn, N.Y.) got plunked with one out and was followed by three consecutive singles into left field by Sean Donaghue (Marlboro, N.J.), Matt Lalomia (Paramus, N.J.), and Harold Calero (Paterson, N.J.) with the last one evening the score. Donaghue would come in on a wild pitch to take the lead 2-1, but Hewlette struck out a man on either side of a walk to escape further damage.
In the bottom half, RWU threatened right away after Ben Bonavita (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk and Alec Lavallee (Cumberland, R.I.) singled up the middle. Tommy Hobin (Madison, Conn.) would go to sacrifice both runners into scoring position on a bunt but the throw by Brian Baranok (Bayonne, N.J.) was off-line allowing both runners to come across the plate.
Things really got crazy in the third. Baranok led off with a double and a walk put two men on base. After a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, and a strikeout for the second out, Lalomia stepped to the plate. He skied a fly ball to left that had all the looks of the third out of the inning, but Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) got a bad read on the flight path and it dropped onto the warning track in left. Both runners scored and Lalomia went to third as the relay throw by Hobin tipped off the glove of Massaro and the ball rolled towards the middle of the diamond. Lalomia got up and dashed to the plate as Jenkins collected the loose ball, but Jack Morin (North Andover, Mass.) could not secure the catch and make the tag and as a result, the score was 5-3.
In the home half of the third, the Hawks got one back as Morin drew an eight-pitch walk, stole second, and came home on a single by Bonavita. Bonavita would later swipe second but was stranded there.
The Roadrunners extended their lead in the fourth. Hewlette struck out the leadoff batter but then a free pass concluded his outing. Lucas Lariviere (Cumberland, R.I.) came in and walked a man before Baranok singled through the left side of the infield to plate the inherited runner. A hit batsman followed to load the bases and end Lariviere's stint as Chris Flynn (Naugatuck, Conn.) entered to try and stop the bleeding. Two inherited runners came across the plate on a walk and a sacrifice fly though, extending the Ramapo lead to 8-4.
Chasing four, Roger Williams found themselves facing their biggest obstacle of the season so far, and they responded in resounding fashion. Owen Hibbard (Roxbury, Conn.) lit the spark by ripping the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth into the left-center field gap for a double. Cedeno followed with a single to plate the run and swiped second base before Massaro rolled one over to second. However, the ball skidded through the legs of the second baseman Aidan Supp (Red Bank, N.J.) allowing Cedeno to score and keeping an out off the scoreboard and the Hawks would need it. Jenkins would walk and both he and Massaro advanced on a wild pitch. Morin got Roger Williams within one on a sacrifice fly to right and a strikeout followed for out number two. That brought up Bonavita and lifted the 1-0 pitch to right that just kept carrying and carrying and the ball wound-up sneaking over the fence, thrusting the Hawks in front, 9-8.
In need of a shutdown inning, Flynn was up to the task keeping the momentum firmly in RWU's favor with an immaculate inning in the sixth and he would carry that the rest of the way. The offense got Flynn an insurance run on a Bonavita sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth, but he did not need it as he shut down the Roadrunners offense and did not allow a runner past second for the remainder of the contest.
Coach's Corner
On the mound, Hewlette did not have his A+ stuff today but he battled and kept us in the game. Then Flynn came on to pitch and he was awesome. I was very impressed with what he brought today. He had an immaculate inning, something I have never seen in my long time in baseball as a coach and player. But even beyond that he competed, filled up the zone, and piled up the strikeouts.
Offensively we were relentless. Ramapo punched us in the teeth taking a four-run lead in the fourth, but we were up to the task with Ben Bonavita striking with a huge homer. We put together great at bats and when we got on base, we wreaked havoc with eight steals.
Defensively, we were steady outside of a couple little miscues.
This Florida trip has been a great experience and obviously coming out of it 10-0 is quite the accomplishment but this is only the beginning. We have a lot we want to accomplish and if we take it day-by-day and enter each game and each day with an 0-0 mentality, we will continue towards those goals.
What's Next
Roger Williams returns to New England to face Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Tuesday at the New England Baseball Complex. First pitch against the Engineers is scheduled for 3:00 PM.