MECHANICSBURG, PA - Ninth-ranked Rowan split a doubleheader with Messiah, winning the first game before being edged in the second, 4-3. The Profs are now 11-4 on the season.
In the first game, Rowan scored eight runs in its first inning, getting its start when
Patrick Defeciani singled to score
Tyler Cannon and
Ryan Mostrangeli drove in one run with a sacrifice fly. The Profs took advantage of Messiah errors and two bases-loaded walks to go up 5-0, before Cannon hit a two-run double.
Ryan Murphy's sacrifice fly brought in the final run, as
Trip McCaffrey scored to give Rowan a resounding 8-0 lead. The Profs added another in the second inning on an RBI double from
Eric DiDomenico.
Messiah (10-10) scored one in the second on a solo home run, and the Profs followed with five runs in the fifth inning with another RBI double by DiDomenico and a single from
Anthony Schooley being among the big hits, as the Profs took a 14-1 lead. Messiah finished out the game scoring six runs over three innings to provide the final total.
Cannon went 3-for-6 with two runs and two RBI with Schooley going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Mostrangeli had two hits, two runs and two RBI, as did DiDomenico.
Hunter Wroniuk also contributed two hits, one RBI and one run.
Donald Zellman (1-1) earned the win, posting five strikeouts in six innings while
Eric Cartafalsa and
David Levin each pitching one inning in relief.
Messiah got on the board first in the first inning of the second game, 1-0, and held that lead until Murphy hit his second home run of the season to tie the game. The home team took a 3-1 advantage in the seventh before Rowan tied it on back-to-back home runs by Defeciani and Mostrangeli.
Messiah won it in the eighth on a bunt single that scored Clayton Roberts, who had doubled.
Jason O'Neill (3-1) suffered the loss in relief of
Michael Miles, who went 5.0 innings and allowed one run and struck out four.
Mike Shannon and
Patrick Sudnikovich also saw action before O'Neill pitched the eighth inning.
Mostrangeli was the only Prof with multiple hits in game two, going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
Rowan is at home on Wednesday, March 30 when the Profs host Penn State-Harrisburg at 3:30 p.m.
