The Ramapo baseball team played their first two games of the season on Sunday, splitting a doubleheader against St. Joseph’s College of Long Island (SJLI).
In the first of two, sophomore Nick Danbrowney took the mound for the Roadrunners against Ryan Foran for the Golden Eagles. In the first inning, Phil Krpata led off with a single, stole both second and third base, and scored off an RBI single from Ryan Decoursey, giving SJLI a 1-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles scored again in the second, as Krpata brought home Joe Sanguedolce on an infield single. After the third and fourth innings went by without a run, the Roadrunners finally got on the board in the fifth inning as Jason Cuba drove in two runs on a triple. Cuba then scored on a passed ball, giving the Roadrunners a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Decoursey tied the game with a solo home run to left field. Ramapo team captain Brian Baranok answered back immediately in the top of the sixth, launching his first home run of the season on a drive to left field. Three batters later, Matt Carovillano drilled a two-run homer to left, giving the Roadrunners a 6-3 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Ramapo added an insurance run as Tyler Guadango drove in Cuba on a single to left. Junior Will Paoli notched his first save of the season, going one and one-third hitless innings in relief of Danbrowney.
Danbrowney was incredibly sharp in his 2023 debut, lasting five and two-thirds innings, striking out 10 batters
and allowing three runs on 100 pitches, earning the win. For SJLI, Foran pitched three scoreless innings before being replaced by Charles Aurandt, who allowed two earned runs in two innings. The loss was credited to Nicholas Dellitalia, who allowed three earned runs in two-thirds of an inning.
In the second matchup of the day, Ramapo sent out junior John Higgins on the mound against SJLI’s Anthony Cinquemani. It was a rough start for Higgins, who faced 17 batters in just two innings of work. The Golden Eagles scored five runs in the first inning off Higgins, though they were all unearned due to an error on Guadango.
In the bottom of the second inning, Decoursey launched a solo shot to dead center field, giving the Golden Eagles a 6-0 lead. James Maggio would add another run on an RBI single to right, scoring Sanguedolce.
In relief of Higgins was sophomore Jack Martin, who went three innings and allowed one run, an RBI single by Krpata. Freshman Will Kennedy finished the game for the Roadrunners, tossing one scoreless inning, striking out two.
For SJLI, Cinquemani lasted three scoreless innings and was credited with his first win of the season. Jack Kelly came on in relief, going three innings, striking out three. Finishing the game for the Golden Eagles was Luke Gacovino with one scoreless inning, cementing SJLI’s 8-0 victory.
Up next for the Roadrunners is a road matchup against Farmingdale State College on Friday, March 3. After that, Ramapo will head down to Florida for the RussMatt Invitational during spring break, where they will play nine games from March 12-19.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics
