The Ramapo baseball team took to the field against Montclair State University in their first New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action of the year on Saturday. The Roadrunners split the doubleheader, winning game one 7-3 and falling in game two, 10-6.
In the first game, junior Jack Martin got the call to start for Ramapo against Montclair’s Jack Haveson. After a rocky start that saw the Red Hawks score two runs in the first, Martin settled down, lasting seven innings, striking out nine and allowing three total runs.
Haveson lasted three and two-thirds innings for Montclair, allowing seven hits, three runs and striking out six Roadrunners. He was replaced by Michael Todaro, who was credited with the loss for the day, allowing three runs in three and two-thirds innings.
After finding themselves down three runs, the Roadrunner offense finally came alive in the third inning, when Zach Novakowski recorded an RBI single. In the fourth inning, Ramapo tied the game after Dominick Ciani was able to score on a wild pitch, and Novakowski notched his second RBI single of the day.
After a scoreless fifth inning, the Roadrunners were able to take their first lead of the day in the sixth thanks to yet another Novakowski RBI single, giving them a 4-3 advantage. Ramapo carried the one-run lead into the eighth inning, where fifth-year shortstop Zack Bailey walked in a run and senior John Higgins drove in two on a single to left.
Senior Gerard Chiricolo came on in relief of Martin in the eighth inning but was pulled in favor of senior closer Will Paoli after recording just two outs. Paoli locked the game down, allowing two hits and zero runs to record his second save of the year.
For Martin, the win was his third of the year, and he currently leads the team with 24 strikeouts and 26 and two-thirds innings pitched.
As for game two on the day, the Roadrunners were able to get out to an early 3-0 lead, but that quickly went away as Montclair scored seven runs in the third and fourth innings combined.
On the mound for Ramapo, Nick Danbrowney got the start and lasted four innings, allowing seven runs (three earned) on five hits and tallied one strikeout. The big blast for the Red Hawks came in the fourth inning when first baseman Sam Angelo launched a three-run homer to center field, putting Montclair up 7-4.
The Red Hawks added a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings, while the Roadrunner offense added two runs in the fifth. Jack Tallent recorded an RBI single, and Matt Lalomia recorded an RBI groundout. Tallent led the Roadrunners for the game with four hits and two RBI.
Entering the bottom of the ninth inning down four, Ramapo was able to load the bases with two outs after singles by Tallent, Lalomia and a walk from Christian Alonso, sending up third baseman Tyler Guadagno as the tying run, but he ended the game by flying out to center.
Danbrowney was tabbed with the loss in this one, and on the mound, he was followed by James Pazdera, Billy Scanlon and Ciani, who combined for five innings, three runs and five strikeouts.
The Roadrunners are now 11-8 on the season and hold a 1-1 record in the NJAC. If the weather holds up, the Roadrunners are next scheduled to play against Rutgers University-Newark on Thursday and Friday in a home-away-from-home back-to-back. On Saturday, they’ll head to Jersey City to face New Jersey City University in a doubleheader. All four games are NJAC matchups.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo by Jenna Barnes
