GLASSBORO, NJ – Sixth-seeded Ramapo outslugged top-seeded Rowan, 16-13, in the opening round of the NJAC Baseball Championship, as the teams combined for seven home runs. Rowan (30-7), which is ranked fourth in this week's poll for the highest of the season, has its nine-game winning streak come to an end. The Profs will now play TCNJ at noon on Friday, May 5, as the double-elimination tournament continues at Kean University.
In a game that saw the teams trade leads, Ramapo (16-22-1) scored 13 runs in the final five innings to earn the win.
For Rowan,
Ryan Murphy was 5-for-6 with three runs and a career-high five RBI, as he had a single, triple and home run.
Eric DiDomenico hit a pair of solo home runs, giving him eight on the year, and the first multiple home run game of his career.
Ryan Mostrangeli drove in four runs, hitting a three-run homer, and
Chris Curcio went 2-for-4.
Eli Atiya made the start for Rowan but was replaced by
Mike Shannon in the fifth inning.
Christian Bascunan (0-1) ended up taking the loss for the Profs as he pitched the final two innings.
Rowan jumped out first, 2-0, as Murphy singled and scored on a double by Mostrangeli.
Anthony Schooley singled and advanced on an error allowing Mostrangeli to cross the plate. Murphy hit a three-run home run in the second inning, for his ninth shot of the season, to give the Profs a 5-0 lead.
Ramapo got on the board in the third inning with its first homer of the game, by Matt Carovillano, and then scored two more as a walk and sacrifice fly forced in two runs, as the Roadrunners cut the deficit to 5-3.
After scoring five runs in the fourth, Rowan appeared to have a comfortable 10-3 lead. DiDomenico led off with a home run and after a single by Curcio, triple by Murphy, and walk by
Patrick Defeciani, Mostrangeli hit his eighth homer of the year, a three-run shot.
But Ramapo came right back, scoring one on a single and then loading the bases to set up a grand slam by Wisniewski to cut the Profs' lead to 10-8.
DiDomenico led off the Profs' fifth with his second home run of the game and Defeciani knocked in McCaffrey with a sacrifice fly as Rowan built the lead back up to 12-8.
Ramapo's Brian Baranok hit a two-run home run in the sixth and then the visitors score two more in the seventh, taking advantage of two walks, a hit batter and Rowan error to tie the game, 12-12.
In the seventh, after back-to-back walks by McCaffrey and Curcio, Murphy drove in his fifth run of the day to put the Profs back in front, 13-12.
But the lead was short-lived as Ramapo scored two in each of the final two innings, with a sacrifice fly from Sean Donaghue providing the winning run.
