NJAC Tournament Bracket
GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team was upset by Rutgers-Newark, 6-4 in the first round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament on Tuesday.
The Profs are the top seed in the conference tournament with a 29-9 record. The Scarlet Raiders are the sixth seed and improve to 16-17. Rowan will face William Paterson University in game four of the NJAC Championship Tournament on Friday, May 3 at noon. Rutgers-Newark plays Ramapo College in game five at 3:30 p.m. The remainder of the conference tournament will be held at Kean University on Friday-Sunday, May 3-5.
Second baseman Luke Magliaro (sr. Fairfield, NJ/West Essex) had two hits and a run batted in (RBI) for the Scarlet Raiders. First baseman Connor Clare (jr. Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) and center fielder John Klimowich (jr. Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) each contributed a hit and scored one run. Klimowich chipped in two RBIs. Righty Luis Rojas (sr. Union, NJ/Union Catholic) went the distance on the mound (2-5), allowing eight hits, four runs and three earned.
For the Profs, left fielder
Frankie Aiello (jr. Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) had two hits and one run. First baseman
Anthony Harrold (sr. Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) produced one hit and two RBIs. Designated hitter
Mitch Walker (jr. Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Mem.) chipped in one hit and a RBI and scored once. Right fielder
Eric Schorr (jr. Audubon, NJ/Audubon) registered a home run. Right-hander
Andrew DiPiazza (sr. Bayville, NJ/Central Reg.) suffered the loss (5-1), throwing six innings and giving up four hits and striking out 12.
The Profs stumbled in the third inning as the Scarlet Raiders took a 4-0 advantage. After back-to-back walks and a bunt to fill the bases, Rutgers-Newark plated its first run on a walk. The Scarlet Raiders doubled up as catcher Michael Streim (so. Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills) scored on a passed ball. The next two runs were brought in by Klimowich with a single through the left side.
The Brown and Gold cut the deficit in half as it added two runs in the bottom half. Aiello reached first on a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. After center fielder
Matt Woods (sr. Berlin, NJ/Eastern Reg.) walked, both runners advanced to second and third on a foul out to the catcher. Aiello scored on the next at bat when Walker hit a sacrifice fly to right field. Harrold drove in Woods with a single to center field.
Rowan scored one in the fifth inning to trail, 4-3. Walker led off with a single to left field and went to third base on a failed picked off attempt. Walker came home on a sacrifice fly to center fielder by Harrold. The Scarlet Raiders added an insurance run in the seventh to lead 5-3, as Magliaro had a RBI single to left field.
Rutgers-Newark scored one in the eighth to extend its lead to 6-3. Third baseman Matt Rypkema (fr. Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) hit a sacrifice fly to right field and plated Klimowich. Schorr answered in the bottom half with a home run.
