Box Score
NEWARK, NJ – Second baseman Joe Franceschini singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning for Rowan University in a 3-2 victory over Montclair State University in the third round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament.
Rowan (23-16), the fifth seed, will play number one Kean University (32-7) in the nightcap on Sunday. In the first game of the day, the second seed The College of New Jersey won 4-3 in 12 innings against Kean. TCNJ advances to the championship round on Monday, May 7 at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
The Profs tied the score at two in the eighth inning. Third baseman Tom Ready (so. Blenheim, NJ/Triton Reg.) doubled in Franceschini (jr. Toms River, NJ/Toms River E.) who led off with a single. With two outs in the ninth, catcher Bobby Fox (jr. Ocean Twp., NJ/Ocean Twp.) reached base on an error and advanced to second on the throw. Pinch hitter Bruce Reibis (jr. Jackson, NJ/Jackson Mem.) was intentionally walked. Franceschini scored Fox with a single to right field.
Right hander Kevin O’Hara (so. Clayton, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) was the winning pitcher. O’Hara (2-1) pitched 2.2 innings and only gave up three hits. Francheschini went two for five with one RBI and one run scored. First baseman Rob Ritterson (jr. Sewell, NJ/George Washington (PA)) and Ready each contributed with a RBI.
For MSU, center fielder Michael Nunes (jr. Hazelt, NJ/Raritan) went two for five with one run scored. Left fielder Jeff Miller (sr. Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) had two hits (five at bats) and one RBI. Right fielder Scott Evangelist (so. Northfield, NJ/Holy Spirit) added one RBI while first baseman Lou Politan (jr. Livingston, NJ/Livingston) scored one run.
The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth when Evangelist had a RBI single for the Red Hawks. He drove in Politan who led off with a single. The Profs tied the score in the sixth with a sac fly by Ritterson that scored center fielder Roger Turley (jr. Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury). In the eighth, Montclair State went up 2-1 when Miller singled down the left field line and Nunes crossed home plate.
NJAC Baseball Championship Tournament (double elimination)
Thu., May 3 – at campus sites
Game 1 - #1 Kean 6, #6 Richard Stockton 1
Game 2 - #2 The College of New Jersey 6, #5 Rowan 1
Game 3 - #3 Montclair State 7, #4 Ramapo 1
Sat., May 5 – at Bears and Eagles Stadium, Newark, NJ
Game 4 –#5 Rowan 8, #6 Richard Stockton 7 (Stockton eliminated)
Game 5 – #1 Kean 17, #4 Ramapo 2 (Ramapo eliminated
Game 6 – #2 The College of New Jersey 9, #3 Montclair State 7
Sun., May 6 – at Bears and Eagles Stadium, Newark, NJ
Game 7 – #2 The College of New Jersey 4, #1 Kean 3 (12 innings)
Game 8 – #5 Rowan 3, #3 Montclair State 2 (Montclair eliminated)
Game 9 – #1 Kean vs. #5 Rowan, 6:30 p.m.
Mon., May 7 – at Bears and Eagles Stadium, Newark, NJ
(if two teams remain after game 9)
Game 10 – #2 The College of New Jersey vs. winner game 9, 1:00 p.m.
Game 11 – if necessary, same teams as game 10, 5:00 p.m.
(if three teams remain after game 9)
Game 10 – #2 The College of New Jersey vs. loser game 9, 1:00 p.m.
Game 11 – winner game 9 vs. winner game 10, 5:00 p.m.
