March 22, 2008

Mahwah, N.J. - In a double-header match-up at Jeff Maund Field in Mahwah, the Ramapo College baseball team dropped a tough, 9-8 decision in game one to the Rams of Farmingdale State and fought back in game two behind junior pitcher Dan Mulligan (Willimgton, DE) earning a 12-0 victory. Ramapo now stands at 9-6 overall on the year while the Rams stand at 7-9.

Sophomore Joey Cacchiola (Union, NJ) went 3-4 in game two of the double header match-up leading the Roadrunners to their ninth win of the year. Cacchiola posted two runs and drove in three while junior Mike Manges (Glen Rock, NJ) hit 2-3 with two RBI. Ramapo scattered 12 runs across four innings posting four in each the 2nd and 5th innings, and two each in the 3rd and 4th.

Senior Jairo Jimenez (Bronx, NY) scored what turned out to be the game winner in the bottom of the 2nd inning when he singled with one out, moved to second on a walk, moved to third on a ground out, and was driven in by rookie Rob Dimperio (Jackson, NJ).

Mulligan pitched the complete game letting up only five hits and no runs to improve to 2-0 on the year. He struck out 11 while walking none.

Senior Anthony Mazzilli (North Babylon, NY) of Farmingdale hit a three-run bomb in the top of the 7th of game one to tie the game at eight, and after Kevin Curtis (Riverhead, NY) was issued a walk with one out, Rich Gili (Manorville, NY) ripped a single to center field scoring Curtis, which turned out to be the game winner after a one-two-three bottom of the 7th for Ramapo.

Both teams ripped ten hits in the game but Farmingdale’s late rally pushed the Rams past the Roadrunners earning the 9-8 victory to improve to 7-8 overall. In the 1st inning the Rams jumped ahead 1-0 after Mike Labrozzi (Sag Harbor, NY) singled to right field with two outs, which scored Luis Felciano (Bronx, NY) who was hit by a pitch to reach first earlier in the inning. Ramapo matched the run in the bottom of the inning when senior Nick Sbarra (Washington Twp., NJ) drove a triple to center field and Cacchiola hit a sac fly to the same spot bringing home Sbarra.

The Roadrunners took a 4-1 lead in the 2nd inning with runs from Jimenez, Gino Gallagher (Cedar Grove, NJ) and Mark Ruggiero (Fairfield, NJ). Jimenez reached on an error, Gallagher was hit by a pitch, and Ruggiero reached on a fielder’s choice respectively to get on base.

In the 3rd inning, the Roadrunners tacked on another run when Gallagher hit a sac fly to bring home Manges, who doubled to lead off, before the Rams closed the gap in the 5th with a run of their own to trail only, 5-2. Ramapo’s Manges hit his 2nd double of the game in the bottom half of the inning and Jimenez drove him in on a double of his own to left, to jump ahead, 6-2.

The Rams posted huge runs in the 6th and 7th innings when Curtis drove in Brian Benvenuto (Dix Hills, NY), and Frank Italiano (Sayville, NY) ripped a two-run single to center field scoring Curtis and Labrozzi, to close the gap 6-5, after five and a half innings. After two Ramapo runs in the bottom of the 6th, the Rams answered with four in the 7th to take the game 9-8. After an error, a walk, and a wild pitch, that put runners on second and third, Mazilli drove his three-run bomb over the center field wall to tie the game at eight runs each. The Roadrunners summons a new pitcher to the mound and after a walk, a ground out to move the runner up, and another pitching change, Gili stepped to the plate driving in the scoring run with a single to center field.

All three Ramapo batters struck out in the bottom of the inning dropping the game, 9-8.

Manges went 2-4 with two runs while Ryan Paxton (Long Valley, NJ) hit 3-4 with one run and two RBI leading the Roadrunners. Curtis led the Rams hitting 2-3 with two runs and one RBI and Italiano drove out two hits on four at bats, scoring one run and driving in two.

Senior captain Jesse Scott (Massapequa, NY) gets the win in 1.2 innings, striking out three and walking none. He let up only one hit during his appearance. The loss goes to Tim Hannes
(Allendale, NJ) who falls to 0-1 on the year. Hannes walked one and let up one run with no hits in 0.1 innings of work.

(Story by Ramapo Sports Information Department)