Rampo Rallied with Five Runs to Defeat Rowan
Sunday, May 05, 2024
CAMDEN CITY, NJ (MAY 5, 2024)– Ramapo rallied with five runs in the seventh inning to defeat #21 Rowan, 9-7, and capture the 2024 NJAC Baseball Championship today at the Rutgers-Camden Athletic Complex. The Profs (27-13) will now await a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Regionals, with the bracket being announced on Monday, May 11.
Fifth-seeded Rowan had avoided elimination, winning two of three games played in the rain, to advance through the bracket to reach today’s championship round. But the Profs would suffer their second loss on the weekend to the third-seeded Roadrunners.
Pat Defeciani, Dylan Maria and Jason Morgan each had two hits for Rowan. Phil Sedalis hit his ninth triple of the season to tie the Rowan record for career triples with 14 (held by Dillon Mendel).
Senior Mike Shannon (7-3) suffered the loss in 7.0 innings of work, with Nick Cugino, Jaxon Casdia and Sean Colbert combining for the final innings.
Ramapo (28-14) jumped out to a 4-0 lead, getting a three-run home run from Zach Novakowski in the second inning.
Rowan fought back, scoring three in the fourth inning with consecutive singles by Pat Deficiani, Dylan Maria and Jason Morgan. Karson Harcourt hit into a fielder’s choice to bring home Defeciani and Kevin Stewart had an infield hit to bring home Maria. Marco Mannino also reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Harcourt to cross the plate and pull the Profs within, 4-3.
The Profs tacked on two more in the fifth as Phil Sedalis led off with a triple and scored on a single from Defeciani, who eventually advanced to third and scored on a wild pitch.
Rowan built its lead up to 7-4 in the seventh as Defeciani started things off. The senior drew a walk, followed by Morgan and Harcourt doing the same to load the bases. Schooley reached on a fielder’s choice to bring home Defeciani and pinch hitter Joey Bogart laced a single up the middle to allow Morgan to cross the plate.
Ramapo won the title in the bottom of the seventh, exploding for five runs. The Roadrunners got two on with a walk and hit batsman, and Zack Bailey sent a pitch over the fence down the left field line to tie the game at 7-7. After another hit, back-to-back doubles by Jesse Swartout and Tyler Guadagno provided the winning runs for Ramapo.