Photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics
The Ramapo College men’s baseball team split a double-header with NJAC rival Rutgers-Camden University at Jeff Maund Memorial Field on Saturday.
The Scarlet Raptors topped the Roadrunners in the first game 6-3 before Ramapo rallied back to take game two 2-1. Ramapo improved to 23-2-1 overall and 7-1 in the NJAC, while Rutgers Camden went to 17-9 overall and 5-5 in the NJAC.
During game one, the Raptors got on the board at the top of the fourth inning when Andujar Cedena ripped a solo home run over left field to take a 1-0 lead. Ray Taylor then drove home Jon Theckston with a single down the left field to take a 2-0 lead. The Raptors extended their lead with two more runs in both the fifth and eighth innings. In the fifth, Brett Tenuto walked and stole second before coming home on Doug Carter’s RBI single to right field. Theckston then drove home Carter with a single to left field. In the eighth, Rutgers-Camden added two more runs to take a 6-1 lead.
Ramapo got on the board in the fifth inning when Brandon Martinez slapped a solo home run, his team high fourth of the season, over the left field wall. Ramapo added two runs in the bottom of the eighth to come within three. The bases were loaded with two outs when Connor Walsh hit a single to left field, allowing Bobby Shannon and Rob DeAngelis to score.
Ramapo did not give up easily in the bottom of the ninth. Scott Paulus led off with a double down the right field line before being lifted for a pinch runner. Ryan Rinsky walked to bring the game-tying run to the plate. Rutgers-Camden relief pitcher Kyle Gaff induced a double play to get the first two outs of the inning before a ground out ended the Ramapo comeback.
Billy Jackson (5-2) struck out nine, walked four and scattered five hits in the win for Rutgers-Camden over 7.2 innings of work. Kyle Gaff earned his third save of the season, striking out one and walking two. Nick Recarte (1-1) took the loss in game one working the first 4.2 innings for Ramapo. He struck out three, walked four and scattered four hits.
During the second game, Ramapo won 2-1. Eli Garcia (2-0) struck out five, walked two and scattered six hits over 7.1 innings of work to earn the win on the mound for the Roadrunners.
Ramapo’s Jared Ensmenger led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run to over left field, his first of his career, to take a 1-0 lead.
The Scarlet Raptors tied the game in the top of the sixth with an unearned run 1-1 before Ramapo came back to take the lead 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning. Joe Venturino led off with a single to left field before he moved to second on an error. Connor Walsh then hit a single into the left-center field gap, allowing Venturino to score the eventual game-winning run. Ramapo held Rutgers-Camden the rest of the game to earn their 23rd win of the season.
Venturino led the team going 3-4 at the plate with one run scored while Chemis finished 2-3 in the game.
Yesterday, the Roadrunners took down the Dolphins of the College of Staten Island by a score of 11-4. Venturino recorded his 225th career hit, setting the new Ramapo record for most career hits. He also recorded his 100th career RBI in the game.
The Roadrunners will start a home-and-home against Kean University today at 3:30 p.m.
rcarillo@ramapo.edu
