Photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics
The Roadrunners looked to remain undefeated and to continue their hot start to the 2016 season, as they hosted Drew University in their home opener.
Additionally, the Roadrunners were ranked the fourth best team in the nation coming into their meeting with Drew. They won the first home game of the season 8-1, improving their overall record to a perfect 13-0.
Sophomore Connor Walsh got the Roadrunners on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning when he slashed a single to center that drove in fellow sophomore Matthew Chemis.
Senior Joe Venturino scored the next run on a wild throw from center field.
Then, sophomore Austin Unglaub singled to right to score Walsh from third for a 3-0 Roadrunner lead.
The Roadrunners would add another run on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning when senior Scott Paulus singled to right with Venturino crossing home plate to extend the lead to 4-0.
Drew University would get one of those runs back in the top of the sixth inning when junior Tommy Broyles drove in senior Anthony Feltre on a sacrifice fly to right field to make it a 4-1 ballgame.
This proved to be Drew’s only run of the day.
Paulus would drive in another run in the bottom of the seventh inning when he singled to left with Venturino scoring on the play to give the Roadrunners a 5-1 lead.
Later in the inning, sophomore Joe Crabbe hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Walsh for a five-run lead.
Then, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Unglaub would lift a two-run single to left to put the Roadrunners up 8-1.
The Roadrunners’ top performers of the day included Paulus, Unglaub and Walsh.
Both Paulus and Unglaub went 2-3 at the plate, and they drove in five of the Roadrunners’ eight runs; Paulus had two RBIs on the afternoon, while Unglaub had three.
Walsh also added two hits in addition to two runs scored and one run batted in.
Another top performer in the game was Venturino, who went 2-4 and scored four of the Roadrunners’ eight runs; he also increased his hitting streak to 11 games, which is tied for the longest hitting streak by a Roadrunner this season. Chemis also increased his hitting streak to 11 as well, while Bobby Shannon’s hitting streak ended yesterday at 11.
Chemis and senior Ryan Rinsky each had one hit on the afternoon, while junior Rob DeAngelis had a run scored.
Freshman Jon Brignoni earned the win for Ramapo, as he pitched 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball on four hits, no walks and four strikeouts, while freshman Zach Luke took the loss for Drew University in his second consecutive nonconference start, as he pitched four innings, giving up four runs, three earned, four hits, four walks and two strikeouts.
The Roadrunners return to action tomorrow afternoon in a road game in Madison, New Jersey against Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham at 3:30 p.m. before returning home against Misericordia University on Monday at 3:30 p.m.
pmcguire@ramapo.edu
