AUBURNDALE, FL – Dylan Maria drove in three runs to help #11 Rowan to a 5-2 win over Ithaca in its final game of the trip to the RussMatt Invitational in Florida. The Profs ended the week winning four straight to go home with a 9-3 record.
 
Maria had a two-run homer and earned another RBI by reaching on an error, also pitched 1.1 innings in the seventh and eighth. Tyler Cannon had three hits for the Profs with Ryan Murphy and Phil Sedalis each contributing two.
 
Murphy scored the first run of the game in the first after he singled and when on second base, scored on Maria's hit to rightfield that was an Ithaca error.
 
Rowan added a pair in the third as Maria connected on a home run to right center, for his third of the year, which scored Pat Defeciani, who had walked.
 
Ithaca (7-6) got one back in the third on an RBI single from Garrett Callaghan and the Bombers scored one more in the seventh on consecutive singles.
 
The Profs added two more in the fourth as Cannon singled and Sedalis doubled, and each were brought home on sacrifice flies from Brian Gallante and Jason Morgan, taking a 5-1 lead.
 
Matt Choi made the start for Rowan and went 6.0 innings, allowing just one run and striking out five, to earn his second win of the year (2-0). Ryan Iovine, along with Maria, and Christian Bascunan earned the save, closing out the game in the ninth. 
 
The Profs return to New Jersey and will play the home opener on Tuesday when they host Haverford at 3:30 p.m.