NCAA Regional Post-Game Interview

SALISBURY, MD – The Rowan University baseball team made a statement in its first game of the NCAA Salisbury Regional, defeating Penn State Abington, 18-2 on Friday. The regional is at Salisbury University from Friday-Sunday, May 17-19.
 
The Profs (31-11) play the winner of Salisbury and Washington & Jefferson College on Saturday at noon. The Lions (26-13) face Salisbury in an elimination game at 8:30 a.m.
 
Rowan was led by designated hitter Mitch Walker (jr. Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Mem.) who was five-for-six at the plate including three doubles and two runs batted in (RBI). Catcher Steven Hewa (sr. Galloway, NJ/Absegami) produced four RBIs, three hits and two runs, while third baseman Nick Schooley (so. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) added three hits, a double and two RBIs. Left fielder Michael Manganella (so. West Milford, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) had three hits and scored twice and second baseman Alex Kokos (jr. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) chipped in two doubles and two RBIs. 
 
Right-hander Justin Smith (sr. Atco, NJ/Hammonton) was the winning pitcher (4-2), tossing six innings, allowing three hits and striking out four. Left-hander Drew Ryback (jr. Mantua, NJ/Clearview Reg.), right-hander Jean Sapini (so. South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) and lefty Dan Shane (sr. Perkasie, PA/Pennridge) each pitched one frame. 
 
For Penn State Abington, shortstop Jaden Himmelreich (so. Temple, PA/Wilson) registered two hits and one RBI. Right fielder Paul Woodley (so. Levittown, PA/Northern Burlington) and catcher Louis Rossner (fr. Delran, NJ/Delran) totaled one hit apiece. Right-hander Ryan McCarty (so. Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) suffered the loss (8-3), throwing three innings and giving up 13 hits and 10 runs. At the plate, he had one hit. 
 
Both teams battled it out over the first two innings, as neither side could manage to plate a run. Rowan kicked it into high gear in the third frame and it scored 10 runs. The Profs totaled six doubles in the inning, which surpassed the previous mark for most doubles in one inning of four. Shortstop Dillon Mendel (sr. Sparta, NJ/Sparta) opened with a double to left center and advanced to third on a single through the left side from center fielder Matt Woods (sr. Berlin, NJ/Eastern Reg.). Mendel crossed home, while Woods moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt by the Lions. Kokos and Walker followed with back-to-back RBI doubles and Hewa knocked in Walker with a single down the right field line. 
 
Schooley and Mendel kept the momentum going, as they each recorded a RBI single. Woods drove in two additional runs when he doubled to left center. The final two runs on the inning were scored on a double to right center by Kokos and a double down the right field line from Walker. 
 
The Brown and Gold tacked on six more runs in the bottom of the fifth to have a 16-0 advantage. With runners on second and third, third baseman Victor Cruz (so. Westfield, NJ/Westfield) brought in Mendel with a single to center field. Woods came home when Harrold grounded out to the shortstop. Hewa plated two runs with a single up the middle, while right fielder Frankie Aiello (jr. Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) and Schooley had a RBI single apiece. 
 
The Profs added two runs in the sixth to put the contest of reach, 18-0. Hewa knocked in Woods with a single to left field and Manganella had a sacrifice fly to center field and Cruz came home. 
 
Penn State Abington scored two runs in the ninth to trail, 18-2 but the deficit was too large to overcome and lost. 
 
The remainder of the regional tournament is below. 
 
Friday, May 17th 
Game 1: #1 Rowan 18, #4 Penn State Abington 2 
Game 2: #3 Washington & Jefferson 4, #2 Salisbury 1
 
Saturday, May 18th 
Game 3: #2 Salisbury vs. #4 Penn State Abington, 8:30 a.m.  
Game 4: #1 Rowan vs. #3 Washington & Jefferson, noon 
Game 5: Winner game 3 vs. Loser game 4, 3:30 p.m.  
 
Sunday, May 19th 
Game 6: Winner 4 vs. Winner 5 
Game 7: If necessary contest