MONTCLAIR, NJ –
Eli Atiya threw a shutout through seven innings to lead #7 Rowan baseball to an 8-0 win over Montclair State (18-7; 3-1) in the first game of a doubleheader, but the Red Hawks rebounded to score a 6-5 in the second game and earn the split. Rowan is now 16-5 on the season and 3-1 in NJAC play.
Game 1
Atiya ran his record to 5-0 as he scattered three hits, not allowing any walks and striking out five along the way.
Mike Shannon closed out the win pitching two scoreless innings.
The teams were tied 0-0 through four innings until the Profs scored four runs in the fifth. Back-to-back RBI singles from
Patrick Defeciani and
Anthony Schooley, then
Ryan Murphy scored on a wild pitch and Schooley came home thanks to a single by
Ryan Mostrangeli to give the Profs a 4-0 lead.
Rowan added three more in the sixth starting with a sacrifice fly by
Tyler Cannon to bring home
Eric DiDomenico, then Defeciani came through with an RBI double to score
Trip McCaffrey. Murphy drove in
Chris Curcio on a ground out as the lead increased to 7-0.
The Profs finished out the scoring with a lone run in the eighth on Murphy's fifth home run of the season.
Murphy was 3-for-4 in the game with two runs and two RBI, while Defeiciani was 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI.
Game 2
Rowan jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first but Montclair State countered with four runs in the bottom half to maintain the lead it never lost.
In the first inning, the Profs got their runs on a pair of doubles, with a two-run shot by Schooley and an RBI hit from Mostrangeli.
MSU answered with four runs on four hits off starter
Michael Miles (1-1) to take a 4-3 lead. The home team then increased it to 5-3 in the third inning.
The Profs got one back in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Mostrangeli to score Murphy, who had doubled. Montclair State added another in the bottom half of that inning by way of two hits and one Rowan error.
Rowan scored once more, in the seventh, as Curcio singled to drive home McCaffrey, The Profs then stranded two runners in the ninth inning and couldn't overcome the one-run deficit.
Miles went four innings and struck out three, as did reliever Brandon Waller, who made his Rowan debut.
Murphy was 2-for-4 with two runs in the second game, with Schooley and Mostrangeli contributing two RBI apiece.
Rowan has a busy week on tap and will get right back at it on Sunday, hosting rescheduled games with NJCU. The doubleheader at the Rowan Baseball Field begins at 11:30 a.m.
