Game 1 - Box Score
Game 2 - Box Score
GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheader over Rutgers-Newark, 11-10 and 9-4 on Saturday afternoon.
Rowan is the third seed in the NJAC Championship Tournament. The Profs will host the fourth seed William Paterson University on Tuesday, May 1 at 3:30 p.m. Rowan is 28-11 overall and 12-6 in the conference. The Profs have a nine game winning streak. The Scarlet Raiders finish the season with a 15-24 record and a 4-14 NJAC mark. Rowan is ranked 20th and 30th in the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25 and American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball Division III Polls respectively.
In the first game, the score was tied, 10-10 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, left fielder Scott Bruno (so. Middletown, NJ/Middletown S.) doubled down the left field line. Center fielder Nick Kreiger (fr. Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) followed with a double to left field knocking in Bruno for the winning run.
Right-hander/shortstop Marc Magliaro (sr. Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.) pitched a perfect ninth inning for his first victory. Righty Nick Evans (sr. Montvale, NJ/Pascack Hills) took the loss. He (0-3) allowed one run on three hits in 1.1 innings.
Profs’ third baseman Mark Benak (so. South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) went three for five with three runs scored, two RBIs and two doubles. Magliaro totaled two hits (five at bats), two RBIs and one run scored. Catcher Nick Turano (sr. Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) produced two hits (five at bats), three RBIs, one run scored and two doubles. Kreiger was three for four with two RBIs and one run scored.
Second baseman Brandon Winkler (sr. Glendora, NJ/Paul VI) contributed with one hit (three at bats) and two runs scored. First baseman Sean Kelly (jr. North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) and Bruno added one hit and one run scored apiece. Designated hitter Kevin McMenamin (fr. Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade) posted one hit (four at bats) and one RBI.
For Rutgers-Newark, first baseman Vin Troisi (so. Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack) compiled four hits (five at bats), one RBI, one run scored and three doubles. Second baseman Nelson Lopez (jr. Passaic, NJ/Passaic) collected two hits (five at bats), two RBIs, one run scored and a double. Right fielder Mike Ciaramello (sr. Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) went one for six with two RBIs and one run scored. Left fielder Jason McCluskey (so. Woodland Park, NJ/Passaic Valley) chipped in with two hits (five at bats) and two runs scored.
Center fielder Chris Ballester (sr. Freehold, NJ/Freehold Twp.) registered one hit (three at bats) and two runs scored. Designated hitter Graham Commesso (fr. Belmar, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) and shortstop Matt Goldberg (fr. Freehold, NJ/Freehold Twp.) both had one hit (four at bats), one RBI and one run scored. Catcher Anthony Palladino (sr. Emerson, NJ/Emerson) had one hit (six at bats) and one RBI. Third baseman Tim Miller (sr. Mendham, NJ/Mendham) added a double and one run scored.
The Scarlet Raiders were ahead, 9-6 after the seventh inning. In the top of the eighth, Miller led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Goldberg for a 10-6 lead. In the bottom half, the Profs recorded four runs to tie the game (10-10). With the bases loaded and no outs, Benak ripped a double to right center field, driving in pinch hitter C.J. Szymczak (jr. Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade) and Kreiger. Winkler crossed the plate on Magliaro’s infield single. McMenamin had a sacrifice fly to center field and Benak came home.
Rowan was up, 4-3 after the first. In the top of the inning, Troisi doubled in Ballester. Palladino’s ground out allowed Troisi to score and Ciaramello came in on an error. Magliaro singled in one run and Turano had a two run double in the bottom half. Hill’s groundout plated Turano. Rutgers-Newark added one run in the second. McCluskey singled and later scored on a fielder’s choice with Ciaramello at bat.
The Profs had a 5-4 advantage with one run in the fourth. Kelly had a base hit with one out. Kreiger drove him in with a single. The Scarlet Raiders went up, 6-5 on Lopez’s two RBI double to center field in the fifth. Rutgers-Newark tacked on three runs in the top of the seventh. With one out, Lopez and McCluskey had back-to-back singles. Ballester was walked to load the bases. Lopez and McCluskey both scored on wild pitches. Ciaramello’s single to right field knocked in Ballester. Rowan came within three (9-6) with one run in the bottom half. Turano doubled in Benak, who reached with a base hit.
In the nightcap, right-hander Brian Rice (jr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic) tossed 5.2 innings in relief for the win. He (2-2) scattered five hits and gave up one run with four strikeouts. Righty Michael Garcia (so. New Milford, NJ/Bergen Catholic) took the loss. He (0-4) surrendered six earned runs on five hits in 0.2 innings.
McMenamin compiled two hits (four at bats), two RBIs and two runs scored. Center fielder Felix Colarte (sr. North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) went two for five with two RBIs, two runs scored and a double. Right fielder Nate Floyd (jr. Erial, NJ/Timber Creek Reg.) contributed with two hits (three at bats), one RBI and one run scored. Winkler tallied one hit (four at bats) and two RBIs. Benak and Magliaro posted one hit (four at bats) and one run scored apiece. Kelly had a double and one run scored. Bruno produced one hit (three at bats), one RBI and one run scored.
For the Scarlet Raiders, Troisi recorded two hits (five at bats) and two RBIs. McCloskey was one for four with two runs scored and one RBI. Goldberg chipped in with one hit (four at bats) and one run scored. Ballester collected one hit (four at bats) and one RBI. Commesso crossed the plate once.
The Profs went ahead, 6-0 in the first inning. With two outs, McMenamin drove in Benak and Magliaro with a single to left field. Colarte’s single allowed Kelly and McMenamin to come home. Bruno knocked in Colarte with a base hit up the middle. Floyd followed with a single down the left field line that plated Bruno.
Rutgers-Newark posted three runs in the second and one in the fourth to cut the deficit to two (6-4). In the second, Commesso reached on an error and came in on a fielder’s choice with McCluskey at bat. Goldberg and McCluskey scored on Troisi’s single through the right side. Ballester had a RBI single in the fourth.
Rowan’s final three runs came in the seventh. McMenamin led off with a single and moved to third on Colarte’s double. McMenamin scored on a balk and Colarte advanced to third. With two outs, Floyd walked and stole second. Winkler followed with a base hit to left field driving in Colarte and Floyd.
