Box Score MONTCLAIR, NJ – The Ramapo College softball team won 4-2 over Rowan University in the second round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament on Saturday.
 
The Roadrunners are the top seed in the conference tournament and have a 29-7 record.  It was the second loss for Rowan (31-9) in the double elimination tournament.  The Profs will have to wait until Monday, May 8 to see if they receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.   
 
Right-hander Erin Fitzsimmons (so. Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville) was the winning pitcher.  In seven innings, she (12-3) gave up two runs, one earned and eight hits.  Righty Jesse DeDomenico (fr. East Windsor, NJ/Hightstown) had the loss (16-4).
 
Left fielder Grace Brennan (sr. Old Bridge, NJ/Academy for Allied Health & Biomedical Sciences) paced Ramapo with two hits and a home run.  Shortstop Nicole Hernandez (sr. Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) contributed with two RBIs.  Second baseman Ally Spellman (jr. Bloomingdale, NJ/Butler), third baseman Harper Patsko (so. Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Reg.) and designated player Kristen Ruggiero (fr. Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) each had one hit and one RBI.
 
For Rowan, shortstop Carly Anderson (so. Nutley, NJ/Nutley) totaled three hits (four at bats) and one RBI.  Center fielder Gianna Genello (so. Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) added one hit, one RBI and one run.  Outfielder Mia Baldassari (jr. Lake Hopatcong, NJ/Morris Knolls) registered a double and one run.  First baseman Damariz Mercado (sr. Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) tallied two hits in two at bats. 
 
The Profs led 2-0 after the third inning.  Baldassari led off with a double to left field and went to third on a sac bunt by Mercado.  Genello knocked in Baldassari with a single down the left field line.  Anderson later plated Genello with a base hit to right center. 
 
Brennan recorded a solo shot to left field in the fifth and the Roadrunners trailed 2-1.  They took the lead with two runs in the sixth inning.  Patsko and Ruggerio both crossed the plate on an error.  Ramapo added one run in the seventh.  Catcher Shannon Cox (jr. Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills) singled to center field, scoring Spellman.

The NJAC Championship Tournament results and schedule are below.
 
Tue., May 2 (at higher seeds)
Game 1:  #1 Ramapo College 3, #6 Montclair State University 2 (9 innings)
Game 2:  #2 William Paterson University 6, #5 Stockton University 3
Game 3:  #3 Kean University 3, #4 Rowan University 2
 
Sat., May 6
Game 4:  Stockton University 3, Montclair State University 2 (MSU is eliminated.)
  (Kean Softball Field)
Game 5:  Ramapo College 4, Rowan University 2 (Rowan is eliminated.)
              (Montclair State Softball Field)
Game 6:  Kean University 2, William Paterson University 0
              (Kean Softball Field)
 
Sat., May 6 (Kean University Softball Field)
Game 7:  Kean University 5, Ramapo College 0
Game 8:  Stockton University 1, William Paterson University 0 (William Paterson is eliminated.)
 
Sun., May 7 (Kean University Softball Field)
Game 9:  Ramapo College (29-8) vs. Stockton University (23-19-1), 10 a.m.
Game 10:  Kean University (32-7) vs. winner game 9, noon
Game 11:  same teams as game 10 (if necessary), 2 p.m.