Box Score WINTER HAVEN, FL – The Rowan University baseball team closed its schedule at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational with a 9-3 upset of top-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Friday afternoon.
 
The Profs improve to 7-5 on the season. The Warhawks have a 2-1 mark and they are the defending national champions. Right-hander Ryan Easterday (sr. Westmont, NJ/Haddon Twp.) hurled a complete game, allowing three runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts. He (2-1) did not walk a batter. Righty Austin Jones (so. Milwaukee, WI/Wauwatosa West) took the loss (0-1).
 
Rowan banged out 20 hits on the day. First baseman Steven Todd (jr. Millstone Twp., NJ/Allentown) went three-for-six with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Designated hitter Casey Grimes (sr. Gibbstown, NJ/Paulsboro) had four hits (five at bats), scored one time and batted in two. Third baseman Kevin McMenamin (sr. Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade) was four-for-six while shortstop Jason Clapper (so. Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape) had three hits (five at bats). They crossed the plate three times apiece. Left fielder Monny Strickland (fr. Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) drove in two runs while second baseman Johnny Dunn (sr. Pitman, NJ/Pitman) and center fielder Nick Kreiger (sr. Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) each had one RBI.
 
Designated hitter Dane Burman (jr. Milton, WI/Milton) was three-for-three with one run scored for Wisconsin-Whitewater. Right fielder Will Helbing (fr. Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) recorded a double and knocked in two runs. Shortstop Mikole Pierce (sr. DePere, WI/DePere) produced one RBI while left fielder Kyle Haen (sr. Madison, WI/Edgewood) and second baseman Nick Kuhlmann (sr. Minneapolis, MN/Minneapolis Southwest) each scored one time. Haen also hit a double.
 
Rowan struck first in the second inning when Grimes came home on an error. The Warhawks grabbed the lead in the bottom half of the frame. Helbing smacked a two-run double down the right field line. The Profs went ahead again with two runs in the third. Clapper scored on a fielder's choice and Dunn's sacrifice bunt plated McMenamin. Todd scored on a fielder's choice in the fifth and Rowan led 4-2. Grimes, Todd and Strickland each hit a RBI single in the sixth to give the Profs a five-run advantage (7-2). Grimes added another run-scoring base hit in the seventh. Wisconsin-Whitewater recorded its third run in the eighth on a sac fly by Pierce. Rowan tallied another insurance run in the ninth on Todd's RBI single.
 
Rowan travels to Stevens Institute of Technology on Tuesday, March 24 for a 3:30 p.m. game.