The Ramapo baseball team played a total of three games this week, two of which were New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) games. The Roadrunners won all three of their games this week earning themselves a winning streak of six. They now sit at 20-7 overall for the season and 5-3 for the NJAC.
The Roadrunners started off their week with a non-conference win against Wesleyan University, ending the game with a score of 4-3. Ramapo moved to 18-7 overall and the Cardinals moved to 7-14.
Wesleyan was the first to get a run in the game with one run in the top of the first. Jack Acker scored on a passed ball making the score 1-0 before getting on the board in the bottom of the fifth with two runs.
Zach Barbash led off the inning with a single before a sacrifice bunt from Julian Caruso moved him to second base. Barbash went on to score on an RBI single from Dominick Ciani to tie the game at 1-1. Zach Novakowski drove home Ciani on an RBI double to right field, 2-1.
The Cardinals took a 3-2 lead from a run scored in the sixth inning before Ramapo tied the game in the bottom half of the seventh. Zach Bailey and Novakowski each singled before Jesse Swartout walked to load the bases. John Higgins brought in the game tying run RBI sacrifice fly, 3-3. In the eighth, Robert Klawans earned a single before Shaun Piotrowski got a sac bunt. Bailey drove in the last and winning run with a single to plate Klawans, 4-3.
Billy Scanlon earned the win in relief for Ramapo in the seventh and eighth innings. He struck out none, walked two and did not give up a hit. Ryan Lasko closed out the game earning his fifth save of the season, and did not give up any hits.
“We also have a lot of other good relievers so I didn’t expect to be in this role. However, the team needs me so I’m just thankful that I’m in a role that helps the team win and do well,” Lasko said in an interview with The Ramapo News.
Ramapo then went on to defeat William Paterson University in a conference game ending the day with a score of 9-2. The Roadrunners moved to 19-7 overall and 4-3 in NJAC while the Pioneers sit at 16-10 overall and 1-6 in NJAC.
The Roadrunners were the first to get on board in the first inning with a run by Bailey on a double from Ciani, 1-0. William Paterson tied the game in the top of the second before Ramapo scored a run in the bottom of the inning. Matt Lalomia singled to right field before later on going to score on a throw, 2-1. In the third, Ramapo got two RBIs from Novakowski and Higgins to extend the lead to 4-1.
In the sixth, the Roadrunners scored five runs on two hits for a 9-1 lead. Both Lalomia and Robert Klawans walked before Eric Knapp drove in Lalomia with a single, 5-1. Caruso bunted bringing home Klawans before Ciani brought in Knapp, 7-1. Bailey came around and scored on a wild throw before Ciani scored on a wild pitch later in the inning, 9-1.
The Pioneers scored one run in the top of the ninth before Cody Quagliato ended the game with a line out double, giving Ramapo the 9-2 win.
Jake Depetris earned the win on the mound for Ramapo with four strikeouts, two walks and four scattered hits.
In the ending game of the week, Ramapo won another conference game against William Paterson, 5-3. The Roadrunners move to 20-7 and 5-3 in NJAC while the Pioneer sit at 16-11 and 1-7 in NJAC.
The Roadrunners saw themselves down by three runs before they tied the game in the top of the third. Klawans walked and stole second before Ciani drove him in with a double. Novakowski walked before Swartout brought home Ciani with an RBI single.
Knapp drove in the game tying run with a sacrifice fly to right field driving home Swartout, 3-3. In the top of the fourth, Novakowski played Caruso with an RBI, 4-3. In the seventh, Lalomia hit a fly ball to center field allowing Swartout to score, 5-3.
Starting pitcher Nick Danbrowney let up two hits, struck out six including his 200th of his career. Relief pitcher Lasko collected his sixth save of the season with one strikeout, and one walk.
“I definitely want to increase my personal record and shoot for the all time strikeout record but more importantly I want to just help my team win another NJAC title and continue to play baseball ’til the end of May and on,” Danbrowney said in an interview with The Ramapo News.
Ramapo will return this week with their special Senior Day doubleheader at home on Saturday, April 21 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
rbleich@ramapo.edu
Featured photo by Nitin Shukla
