Baseball beats Centenary following tournament

The Ramapo College baseball team had a 5-4 record at the RussMatt Invitational in Auburndale, Florida over spring break, and on Tuesday, the Roadrunners beat Centenary University by a score of 6-4 in their return from the trip. 

During the tournament, Ramapo tallied wins against Westminster College, Curry College, Roger Williams University and SUNY Fredonia. The highlight of the trip was the first game of the tournament against Westminster, when sophomores

Outfielder Matt Carovillano currently ranks third for Ramapo in batting average at .324. Photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics

Nick Danbrowney and Dominick Ciani and freshman James Pazdera combined for the team’s first no-hitter of the season.

Danbrowney tossed seven hitless innings, walking two and striking out 11 batters. Ciani walked one and struck out two hitters in the eighth inning, and Pazdera closed it out with a perfect ninth inning. This was Ramapo’s first no-hitter since the 2018 season.

The Roadrunners’ largest victory of the tournament came against Fredonia in a 15-5 win. Juniors Matt Lalomia and Will Egner, senior Joseph Marte and graduate students Matt Carovillano and Justin Garthaffner each recorded multiple RBIs on the day. Senior Troy Karaty allowed three earned runs in five innings of work. Garthaffner pitched the final two innings of the game, allowing one earned run and striking out three batters.

Ramapo’s four losses in the tournament came against Anderson University, The College of St. Scholastica, Ohio Northern University and Fredonia. One of the highlights in the series of losses was senior Tyler Guadagno recording his first multi-homer game of the season in a 13-12 loss to Fredonia.

The Roadrunner’s game against Centenary on Tuesday started off with a bang, as Lalomia launched a grand slam in the top of the first inning, scoring Ciani, Guadagno and junior captain Brian Baranok. That score remained until the sixth inning, when Christopher Gass knocked in two runs and Kevin Zaccareo Jr. recorded a sacrifice fly to bring the Cyclones to within one. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Centenary tied the game at four, when Jake Keenan recorded an RBI single. It wasn’t until the top of the ninth inning when Ramapo took the lead back, as Guadagno recorded a bases-loaded walk and Lalomia hit a sacrifice fly, scoring senior Jason Cuba. 

Jarod Abram recorded the win for the Roadrunners, holding Centenary hitless in the eighth and ninth innings. Pazdera got the start for Ramapo, lasting five innings and giving up three earned runs. Senior Matt Ivanicki pitched two innings, allowing one earned run.

Through Ramapo’s first 13 games, the team has an 8-5 record, which currently places them fourth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Lalomia has had a scorching hot start to the season, recording a team-best three home runs, 20 RBIs and 34 total bases. Ciani has been leading the team with a .474 batting average, and Baranok currently leads the team in hits.

On the mound, Danbrowney has recorded a team-high 27 strikeouts and is tied for the team lead in wins with Karaty at two-a-piece. Junior Will Paoli is the only pitcher to record a save so far, as he has gone two for two in save opportunities.

The Roadrunners will play their first home games of the season this week, including a double-header against Swarthmore College on Saturday, March 25 and one game against Cabrini University on Tuesday, March 28.

 

wjackso2@ramapo.edu

Featured photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics